Levi’s x Studio Ghibli Paint ‘Princess Mononoke’ Into Magical Denim Pieces
Images via Levi’s
After Loewe’s blazingly delightful Howl’s Moving Castle collection, Studio Ghibli fans can now feel royally in touch with the outdoors in dreamy denim.
Levi’s has partnered with Hayao Miyazaki’s famed animation studio to weave the lovely landscapes of Princess Mononoke into classic pieces, including the 501 jeans from 1993, which was the same year the film was released.
Images via Levi’s
Besides rejuvenating quintessentially American items, Levi’s has also introduced pieces that have “lent themselves to a Japanese aesthetic.”
Images via Levi’s
Roused by the movie’s beautifully hand-painted backgrounds of nature, the clothing brand has integrated them into apparel the best way it knows how: by playing with denim washes, which double as lighting and shadows here.
Levi’s captures the film’s stunning skies, for example, with a light blue wash. Further, “there’s a lot of play on the light and dark of the film—for instance, the Nightwalker, a forest spirit that only comes out during the night, dawn or dusk,” describes the company.
Image via Levi’s
“On the advice of the Ghibli team, we were able to use their image on our darker indigo pieces—the Nightwalker Denim Kimono Jacket and the Kodama Denim Overall. The dark indigo creates the atmosphere out of which this character appears: the Nightwalker rises up into the nighttime sky with all the little Kodama, or tree spirits, in the treetops gazing up at them,” Levi’s continues.
While the imagery on the denim items is more ambient, the graphic tees and hoodie zoom into the movie’s characters—a choice Levi’s has made to re-enact contrasts in the film.
Image via Levi’s
“Princess Mononoke has these beautiful, quiet moments,” the brand notes. “And then all of a sudden, there’ll be a frenetic action sequence. Our pacing of the relationship between the denim pieces and our graphic tees and hoodie mimics the pacing of the film.”
Rekindling the movie’s little moments, Levi’s has inserted them into accessories that wearers can carry with them every day. These include a bandana depicting San’s red battle mask, an Ancient Forest bucket hat, a San & Ashitaka tote, and two coin bags featuring San’s mask and a Kodama face.
Image via Levi’s
“We hope people see it as a bit of a love letter, from Levi’s and Studio Ghibli,” shares Levi’s.
Early access for the collection will be open to Red Tab members on August 8, ahead of the global launch on August 10.
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[via Apparel Magazine and Highsnobiety, images via Levi’s]
