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Levi’s and Denim Tears Celebrate New Orleans Heritage
04/04/25
Levi’s and Denim Tears are back with a fourth collaboration that puts the Big Easy in the spotlight.
The new collection pays “homage to the rich cultural tapestry of New Orleans and the Black Masking Indian tradition,” Levi’s stated.
“New Orleans represents a unique intersection of African, Indigenous, and French cultural influences that have shaped American identity in profound ways,” said Tremaine Emory, founder of Denim Tears. “This collection honors the sacred traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians while recognizing their continued relevance in contemporary culture.”
The collection delivers eight new pieces that blend heritage and contemporary streetwear. Elements of New Orleans cultural expression are found throughout.
The Photo Trucker and Photo Jeans feature photo-printed garments capturing the Young Seminole Hunters in their ceremonial regalia. Each photo-printed piece undergoes an intentional imperfection process during printing, ensuring that no two items are exactly alike—much like the handcrafted nature of Mardi Gras Indian costumes themselves, Levi’s stated.
The Photo Trucker jacket features a relaxed, slightly cropped silhouette based on the iconic Type III design while the accompanying Photo Jeans get their fit profile from the 568 Stay Loose jeans.
The new Track Jacket and Track Pants have a mid-indigo wash with dark wash color-blocking. The pieces are adorned with cotton fleur-de-lis prints, a symbol that represents the city’s French roots. Gold rope-like piping is a nod to the ornate detailing of marching band uniforms.
A washed black Crewneck Sweatshirt also features cotton fleur-de-lis artwork. The Baseball Tee combines floral gingham print with dark green 3-quarter sleeves, “evoking Southern tablecloth patterns that symbolize family gatherings and communal celebration,” Levi’s stated. An indigo durag with all-over cotton flower print and a photo-printed hat finish the collection.
The collection was photographed in New Orleans with members of the Young Seminole Hunters.
The collection launches worldwide on April 4 and will be available for purchase on Levi.com, the Levi’s app, in select Levi’s stores. It will also be available on Denimtears.com and in-store at African Diaspora Goods in New York City. The collection will be available at select premium wholesale doors on April 5.
Levi’s debuted its first collaboration with Denim Tears in 2020 with a collection of vintage denim updated with an all-over screen print of white cotton wreaths. The collection told the story of cotton in the U.S. and a legacy intertwined with slavery. Pieces went on to be exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition.
A second collection in 2022 re-contextualized the history of the Gullah Geechee, descendants of Africans who were enslaved on plantations on the lower U.S. Atlantic coast. Known for its production of indigo, the region had a large slave population during the 18th century mainly due to the British demand for indigo-dyed workwear. At the time, the U.K. was the largest importer of indigo-dyed fabric.
Levi’s and Denim Tears dropped a third collection last fall—a range of denim and leather pieces that explored Black biker culture
