The Levi’s brand’s longstanding place at the center of culture will be lit up on the silver screen this holiday season thanks to “A Complete Unknown,” the highly anticipated Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet. Directed by James Mangold and set in the influential New York folk music scene of the early 1960s, the Searchlight Pictures film follows an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota who arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music — often while wearing Levi’s jeans.
Of the many beloved artists who made Levi’s garments central to their style, few had the cultural and artistic impact of the legendary Bob Dylan. That’s why the Levi’s team worked with costume designer Arianne Phillips to capture the authentic denim fits of a young Bob Dylan.
“While researching costumes for the film, I kept noticing that Bob Dylan wore Levi’s consistently throughout his career, both on and off stage. So I worked with Paul O’Neill at Levi’s to help me source original Levi’s denim and produce the bootcut 501 jeans, as well as recreate the Super Slim Levi’s jeans that Dylan wore in ‘65,” said Arianne. “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. To my surprise and delight, I found that Dylan’s journey could be authentically traced through his Levi’s.”
With the help of the expansive Levi’s Archives, the team consulted on the period’s Levi’s products and supplied historically accurate denim styles. For Paul O’Neill, design director of Levi’s Vintage Clothing, a discovery he made several years ago became a critical source for accurately capturing Dylan’s look.
While researching the 2019 Levi’s Vintage Clothing “Folk City” collection, Paul read the memoir by Bob Dylan’s ex-girlfriend Suze Rotolo. She recalled adding panels into his jeans in the early 1960s so Dylan could wear them over his boots. This was particularly fascinating, since she did this years before Levi’s offered bootcut jeans. Several photos exist that clearly show the insert on his jeans, including the cover of his fourth LP, “Another Side of Bob Dylan.” This key discovery makes its way into the film.
“I was honored to consult on this film and work with Arianne and team to authentically bring Bob Dylan’s early Levi’s styles to life,” said Paul.
To commemorate the film’s release, the brand is releasing a new Levi’s Vintage Clothing x A Complete Unknown collection later this month. Like the movie, the new collection highlights the romantic side of Dylan’s story and includes the Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1955 501 jeans with bootcut insert, a Levi’s Vintage Clothing “D” Belt and the Levi’s Vintage Clothing Suede Jacket.
The new Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1955 501 jeans pay homage to his custom pair, featuring the same bootcut insert. They were recreated alongside a leather “D” buckle belt that Dylan always wore. Presented in a beautiful box emblazoned with Dylan’s lyrics, the jeans and belt come with special tributes, including the sheet music for “Girl from the North Country,” a “New Friend” cue card from the legendary “Subterranean Homesick Blues” film and, hidden in the watch pocket of the jeans, a typed note that reads “I’ll let you be in my dreams, if I can be in yours” — an early Dylan lyric.
To complete the outfit, the Levi’s Vintage Clothing team has remade the classic suede Trucker jacket worn by Dylan in the early 1960s. The jacket is presented in a box that includes sheet music for “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” a “Dig Yourself” cue card and a movie still featuring Timothée Chalamet wearing the jacket, jeans and belt. Like the 501 jeans, the jacket comes with costume notes on the inside pocket calling out “A Complete Unknown” as well as noting the outfit change and scene the product is featured in.
“It was exciting to reproduce Dylan’s original jeans with the inserted panel and include unique ephemera in the presentation, ensuring our new collection captures the film’s romantic themes while faithfully recreating the iconic Levi’s look of an unparalleled genius,” said Paul.
The limited-edition Levi’s Vintage Clothing x A Complete Unknown collection will be available for purchase on levi.com in time for the film’s theatrical release on December 25.
