Levi’s Celebrates Bob Dylan’s Dalliance with Denim

Hailed as a folk rock hero, Bob Dylan’s legacy as a Levi’s fan might be lesser-known—but no less impactful. Dylan was such a Levi’s devotee that in his ex-girlfriend Suze Rotolo’s biography, Rotolo recalled altering his jeans so he could wear them over boots, pioneering bootcut jeans before the brand offered them. Levi’s was so central to Dylan’s style that costume designer Arianne Phillips worked with the brand to source authentic outfits for A Complete Unknown, an upcoming biopic on Dylan’s life starring Timothée Chalamet.

From arriving in New York as a fresh-faced 19 year old to his riotous 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival, the film follows Dylan’s rise to fame. As the singer-songwriter’s career evolved, so did his taste in denim — but his passion for Levi’s remained constant. 'We see the silhouette of Levi’s change in the film alongside Dylan’s own evolution, from the fuller leg 501 jeans that Dylan wore when he first got his start in the NYC West Village folk scene in '61, to the Super Slim jeans Dylan wore when famously going electric in ‘65,' explained Phillips.

In honor of Dylan’s love affair with the denim company, Levi’s Vintage Clothing collaborated with A Complete Unknown on a 3-piece capsule featuring a pair of bootcut jeans, a ‘D’ belt, and a suede jacket. The 1955 501 jeans with bootcut insert pay homage to Dylan’s DIY bootcut pair, while the suede trucker jacket is fashioned after one Blowin’ in the Wind singer wore in the early days of his career. Each item is packaged with fragments of ephemera, from a typed note tucked into a jean pocket to a film still of Chalamet as Dylan.

A symbol of outlaws, activists, and Americana, beyond being a visual statement, Dylan’s blue jeans serve as a window into his allure. And, much like a good pair of Levi's 501s, his music never gets old. Coinciding with the UK premiere of A Complete Unknown, Bob Dylan fans and Levi's lovers can get their hands on the collection on 17 January at Levi.com.