Naomi Osaka, tennis champ and activist, is just like us far-less-athletic schmucks in so many ways: she watches Naruto. She struggles to protect her skin. And she wears Levi's most popular jeans, the 501. She's far from the only famous fan of the everyman cut, of course, and a star-studded celeb collective has aligned to commemorate the yearly 501 celebration, hosted by Levi's every May 20.
Hailey Bieber, Jaden Smith, Marcus Rashford, Emma Chamberlain, Barbie Ferreira, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are all joining Osaka in lionizing the legendary jeans, seen in a series of thematic clips and campaign images offering their own pared-back takes on the daily driver denim. See, they might be beautiful, famous, and wealthy, but we aren't so different after all — they also put their jeans on one leg at a time, probably, and they also like to mix up baggy 501s with washed-out trucker jackets and clunky sneakers. What other brand can boast a flagship product equally beloved by the ultra-famous and dads across the globe?
"Partnering with Levi’s was a natural fit for me," Gilgeous-Alexander tells Highsnobiety. "I love their products because of the versatility they give me when I’m picking an outfit every day. 501s are my favorite - clean, simple baggy and swaggy."
Looking at photos of the well-to-do is fine and all, but what do we get out from the festivities? Glad you asked — Levi's is dishing out some exclusive drops to make the most of the big day, including some ultra-limited Japanese-made 501s, complete with selvedge finishing and Japanese text, and a collaboration with Verdy's super hot Wasted Youth imprint, which will remix the 501 with embroidered imagery and an exclusive back patch.
Finally, Levi's will also debut a day's worth of YouTube Live performances from the likes of Kehlani, Duckwrth, Eric Nam, and Joyce Wrice, simultaneously engaging in various conversations on Jeff Carvalho's Culture Club about the history and versatile styling inherent to the 501. Levi's promises a very special guest for the latter, in case all that wasn't enough. Not bad for nearly 150-year-old pair of jeans, eh?
