Andy Warhol’s lifelong romance with denim was so passionate, he once declared, “I want to die with my blue jeans on.” Twenty years after his passing, the 501-clad king of pop art—who led, in our humble opinion, one of the most glamorous lifestyles in the history of the world—continues to influence design culture, as evidenced the
Warhol Factory X Levi’s X Damien Hirst collection.
The line originated as Warhol Factory X Levi’s in 2006. It eventually fell into the hands of British artist and Warhol devotee Damien Hirst. Smitten by the cloth concoctions, Hirst jumped at the chance to expand upon the already heavyweight collaboration. Two years and many multicolored dots later, Warhol Factory X Levi’s X Damien Hirst was born.
After making its debut at New York Fashion Week, the collection is now available, for a limited time only, at
Fred Segal Man. The highly anticipated fashion-meets-art alliance lives in an intimate space reminiscent of Warhol’s New York studio, the Factory—complete with silver tinfoil lining its brick walls. Clusters of bare bulbs descend from the ceiling, illuminating jeans that range from $290 to $4,000. (The latter are encased in Plexiglas.) A center table presents shoppers with a smattering of other items from the collection, such as a black patent-leather jacket, alongside a limited-edition book that documents the project's creative journey.
While Warhol and Hirst have more intersecting themes in their work than there are cars on the 405 during rush hour, most obvious is their mutual affinity for the macabre—hence the ubiquitous skulls. The collection, produced for Levi’s by Adrian Nyman, consists of dark denim jackets, T-shirts with Warhol and Hirst images layered over one another, and Swarovski-crystal-encrusted black silk shorts. On display in the store are two original Hirsts—501s splattered with bright neon paint—selling for $80,000 each.
Thankfully, the union of America’s most iconic artist and most iconic clothing company is only made sweeter by Hirst’s involvement. Open through June 3, the pop-up shop might be your last chance to snag a piece of art history splashed across Warhol’s favorite canvas—denim. While it may be easier to shop online, the Warhol Factory X Levi’s X Damien Hirst collection is art, and that’s always best experienced in person.
Jaime Honkawa is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
