Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
It's all in the jeans
|
Levi's new-look store offers a unique shopping experience
|
PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P
GET THE BLUES When a garment becomes a cultural phenomenon
This Saturday, we celebrate the official birthday of jeans. It was on May 20 in the last century that Levi Straussand one of his customers, a tailor named Jacob Davis, patented riveted work-wear trousers in denim, thus creating an enduring style. In popular culture, jeans have stood for freedom and adventure — think of all those biker dudes and babes in their faded blues and defined the beat generation of the Swinging Sixties.
And they were also the last word in sexy — think of the just-pubescent Brooke Shields (before she had celebrated run in with part-time superstar / part-time couch jumper and whole time weirdo Tom Cruise on post-natal depression) famously purring: "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins."
Celebrate in style
And if you want to celebrate the birthday of this humble work-wear turned-super chic, head for Levis Square on Brigade Road, which is anything but square. Spread over 9,000 square feet, the flagship store, takes one on a trip through the brand's 150-year history.
Themerchandise wall tells the tale of the moody blues. The ground floor, Lounge, displays the classic 501 and Red Loop. For the classic 501, the original button fly jeans, the look is copper to remind one of the metal that goes into the famous rivets that Jacobs introduced for one of his customers who always ripped his over-stuffed pockets. There are props like wooden barrels, a trolley with cartons and hay and mannequins determinedly staring into the distance. Red Loop, the premium brand, has a plush dιcor where mirrors and satins echo the exclusivity of the products. Then there is Vintage, where styles from the archives are presented in glass cases for all who feel that fashion is an apt chronicler of the times. Props include a gramophone and antique telephone.
Nostalgia trip
The first floor, Campus, displays the cool Sykes range against a youthful exuberant backdrop. The second floor, Foundry, goes on a nostalgia trip when the brand came into being to cater to miners. The industrial-style lighting and unfinished construction all take us to the beginning of brand. As do the massive worktable and antique sewing machine. There are pickings aplenty for trivia junkies on the staircases, elevators and doors.
The opening saw a few more envelopes being pushed with actors Ruchika Chanana, Mayank Tripati and Vivek Madan talking about the product. For instance, Ruchika sported attitude when she spoke of Red Loop while Mayank was all hip hop for the Sykes range and Vivek morphed into an old miner from bygone times to talk of the Foundry.
In these days of delightfully conspicuous consumerism, it is not enough just to lay it out and expect people to buy. One has to do all sorts of extra stuff and if that entails some eye-popping detail, then all the better for some serious retail therapy!
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
