My Levi’s® brand 501® Interpretation: Hanif Idris & Vincent Paul Yong
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VINCENT PAUL YONG, Photographer
You’ve worked very closely with Levi’s® brand over the last few years. Does it help that you’re a big fan of the brand yourself?
Personally, I feel like it’s a match made in heaven. It’s such a great honour to be able to work and collaborate with such a distinctive brand. I am humbled. There are so many things that are embodied in the brand’s heritage that is relatable and similar to my kind of ecstatic as a photographer. I am a huge fan.
How many pairs of Levi’s® brand do you own and do you have a favourite pair?
I think I have 11 pairs of trucker jackets, and 15 pairs of jeans? I lost count. (I’m sure there are some out there who has even more!) All of them are my favourite! But the 1 I favour most has to be the most recent pair of Big E 501®s that I got for myself. It’s the 1 pair that you’ll see me in most of the day at VERVE at the moment.
Do you remember the moment when you fell in love with denim and Levi’s® brand?
I’ve been wearing denim since I was a kid so I don’t think I can remember but I can recall the pair that I wore for 6 years before I decided to retire it. It was a pair of Levi’s® brand Type 1 that went through thick and thin with me and it was baggy – a trend back then. I even got pushed into a pool in them once and I said to myself, “Confirm, gone case,” but I was proved wrong and this faithful pair stayed with me for a few more years. My love for skinnys came after, though. Trends come and go but my love for the fabric won’t. Somehow it’s akin to people with a leather fetish?
You’re also a fan of vintage denim. Tell us how that came about?
Yes, all thanks to my group of friends like Chooee Hwang of Streething.com, Anthony Ho of Leftfoot Singapore, Felex Yee of Boundlezz, DJ Bunga of Twilight Actiongirl and Chin of Outcast Store Bangkok who influenced me.
How old must a pair of denims be to be classified as “vintage”?
Good question. Generally, you can say it is “vintage” when it is no longer in production or discontinued and it would be a rare find to acquire these denims. However, with Levi’s® brand and its long and well-preserved archive, off and on you get re-releases thankfully!
Would you consider yourself a collector?
I am not that hardcore. I only collect denims that interest me; it could be the details, its history and the cut but when I do come across something that calls out my name… there is no way to say no.
What draws you to a pair of Levi’s® brand and denim in general?
Name me the person who created and pioneered the blue denim jeans? There you go. Generally, denim is a fabric that can weather any condition – it’s great durability and in the industry that I’m in, it helps me through the day at work with ease. I can do almost anything (like lying down on the floor or grass) in them. And at the end of the day, just dust off your jeans and its like brand new! I don’t think any other cotton based pants can come close to what a pair of jeans can weather. Denim pieces are the most versatile in any person’s wardrobe. You can mix and match and layer it with other apparels!
Denim collectors and fans wax lyrical about the Levi’s® brand 501®. Why is that?
Imagine over 140 years of archive and heritage! With that 1 point I can safely say that will drive any collector crazy.
In your personal opinion, why is the Levi’s® brand 501® jeans loved by politicians, icons and the everyday man alike?
Personally, apart from the great fit, comfort and durability, I guess everyone wants to be someone big when they grow up, no? For over 140 years it has never gone out of style. It is a classic and it’s iconic.
How do you think the local denim scene changed over the last 10 years?
From a consumer’s point of view, I don’t think much has changed but to a collector and a fashion conscious person with “Google”, “e-Bay” and other sites like these in this day and age, the denim scene has grown strong. Things are much more accessible now and it’s further fueled by the mushrooming of vintage shops throughout the Klang Valley. More people are educated and in the know these days. Long live denim!
I’ve met many passionate denim collectors who share this common obsession with collecting vintage 501®s and I’ve experienced firsthand their process of meticulously rummaging through kedai bundles for that perfect pair. How about you?
I do that too *laughs*. I’d go for walks every now and then to check on their latest stock. Sometimes I do buy, other times I go home empty handed. It’s more of an authentication rather than an obsession, I guess. Looking through details, cuts, the labeling, the feel – everything counts. There’s always a pair waiting for you…
Would you know how differentiate an authentic and a fake pair of vintage Levi’s® brand 501®?
First you need to check and feel its condition, then aesthetic wise, the exterior and interior look of it. Then check for detailing like its selvage, rivets, labels, the red tag, fit and the hues (wash and colour) are next. Usually the rivets or the labeling are the easiest markers to see if it’s authentic or not and sometimes the wash label give out hints when words are not spelled correctly. If you’re still unsure there’s always Google or the nearest Levi’s store.
Does the Levi’s® brand 501® have any personal significance to you?
#JADI
How would you wear your pair of Levi’s® brand 501®?
I pair it with almost anything actually. It’s that versatile!
Most interviews often focuses on how a pair of jeans looks on a person but I’d like to know how you feel in a pair as iconic as the 501®? What kind of emotion does it stir in you?
#JADI (for your 1st question) and #GOFORTH (for the 2nd question)
Lastly, if you were commissioned to create an art piece with a pair of Levi’s® brand 501®, how would you envision your masterpiece to look like?
Let’s save this for my upcoming exhibition shall we? Coming soon.