Levi’s and The British Council to host exhibition on circular design

Levi’s is partnering with the British Council’s Architecture Design and Fashion (ADF) programme to host an exhibition and workshops on reimagining post-consumer denim in London later this month.

The collaboration is part of Levi’s digital residency with the British Council’s 'Making Matters' programme and follows an open call to interdisciplinary designers in Europe to showcase an innovative approach to circular design using Levi’s denim offcuts.

Levi’s and ADF selected two collectives, Netherlands-based design lab Envisions and British educational association Store to share their practice and co-develop an exhibition in Levi’s Haus in London, the brand’s one-of-a-kind concept store dedicated to circularity, design and heritage.

Envision and Store will focus their work on three categories – mixing fibres, connecting fibres and exploring yarns for the public exhibition. There will be over 75 individual experiments on display, utilising techniques such as 3D printing, weaving, braiding and creating new materials such as denim composites, denim fur, and denim paint using indigo dye extracted from a pair of jeans.

Commenting on the possibilities of denim, Envisions said in a statement: “When it comes to post-consumer denim, the sky's the limit. Denim is a very well-known material; we all recognise it as the pair of jeans we have in our wardrobes, but this exhibition will hopefully show denim’s capabilities beyond garment design.

“From the outset, we set ourselves the goal to come up with material solutions that could transcend fashion, looking at interior spaces for example. We wanted to challenge the possibilities of this iconic material we all know and love, and ultimately, encourage consumers to think about the principles of circular design.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of free workshops led by Store, aimed at educating and inspiring consumers to consider the full lifecycle of Levi’s denim, and other consumer goods, through collaboration and creativity. The workshops will include indigo wax crayon making, a denim fibre pulp after school club and basket making.

Dennis Goebel, vice president of merchandising at Levi’s(R) North Europe said: “At Levi’s, we believe in being a positive force for change for our communities. We work hard every day to ensure our values are an intrinsic part of everything we do and what’s been fantastic about this project is how it brings so many of these values together to create something truly exciting.

“From intercultural collaboration to environmental activism, to the sheer innovation and creativity of Envisions and Store, the work we have delivered together may not be a solution to the wider issues of sustainability, but we hope its optimism inspires further conversation and collaboration as we all look forward to a better future.”

The Levi’s x British Council exhibition is open to the public from April 20 to May 5, with workshop bookings available exclusively through the Levi’s 247 app.