From tailoring to tech, Levi’s brings next-gen concepts to life in Apac

Last December, Levi’s unveiled its largest store in Southeast Asia with the opening of its flagship store in Singapore’s Ion Orchard shopping complex.

Nuholt Huisamen, Levi’s managing director and senior vice president for APAC, said the store was a major milestone for the global denim label, which marks the 150th anniversary of its iconic 501 fit jeans and 170th anniversary of its brand this year. 

Huisamen is hopeful that customers will flock to the 3,400 square foot store, which features Singapore’s first in-store tailoring service and carries the widest range of premium collections and vintage clothing.

“This store takes the form of an LED-powered entry archway, digital in-store panels to push a constant feed of experiential content as well as a style lounge for those who prefer a little guidance or personalisation,” he told Inside Retail.

The journey to opening the store was years in the making, and Huisamen said the team is tremendously proud of the achievement. 

He believes the Ion store will contribute to the overall vibrancy of Singapore’s retail scene and inspire more hybrid shopping experiences down the road.

“We are always seeking to elevate and differentiate the bricks-and-mortar experience across all our owned and operated stores, which is centred on authentic self-expression and celebration of personal style,” he said.

Reliving vintage craftsmanship

According to Huisamen, the wide range of collections and styles on offer, including the more elevated Made & Crafted line, is what sets the Ion store apart from other Levi’s locations in Southeast Asia. 

“Levi’s Made & Crafted has a design ethos rooted in iconic denim legacy, the label is Levi’s distilled to its essence: clear strains, understated particulars, and skilled craftsmanship,” he said.

Meanwhile, the brand’s Made in Japan range emphasises the high quality and craftsmanship of denim manufacturing in that country.

“Both collections speak to die-hard denim fans in Singapore who value timeless, superior quality products that capture premium craftsmanship that have survived the test of time,” Huisamen said.

He observed that younger consumers are becoming more focused on the circular economy, and Levi’s has seen positive feedback from this cohort so far. 

“To celebrate the 150th anniversary, we will be introducing limited-edition product drops like the reimagined 1873 “XX Waist Overalls”, Men’s 501 ‘54 and the Women’s 501 ‘81. These products will be released throughout the year,” he revealed.

Personalisation and authenticity

The Tailor Shop is another way that Levi’s is bringing its values of authentic self-expression to life. The service is the first of its kind in Singapore, enabling consumers to work with a tailor to customise their favourite denim items.

“From easy alterations comparable to hems or tapers to chain stitching and embroidery providers, the Levi’s Tailor Store presents a full variety of customisation choices to create a one-of-a-kind Levi’s creation,” Huisamen said.

“Unsurprisingly, we’ve seen this being reflected in the positive feedback received from consumers […] at our Ion store.”

He believes that Singapore is an important market for the brand, both globally and as a regional hub for the East Asia Pacific commercial cluster, thanks to its political stability and sound monetary and fiscal policies. This, he said, provides a stable environment to do business. 

“This market has long been key to the Levi’s East Asia Pacific expansion plans. Our efforts in Singapore will help to inform our strategies in the APAC market around diversifying the business across geographies, apparel categories and distribution channels,” Huisamen explained.

The digital factor

These days, brands like Levi’s are laser-focused on their omnichannel presence. Huisamen acknowledged that data and artificial intelligence (AI) are critical for the brand and business to thrive and grow in the long term. 

The brand recently launched a machine learning boot camp, and this year it hopes to roll out more in-house programs. Huisamen said that the business is committed to upskilling its staff around machine learning, design thinking and digital product management.

The company is also working on scaling its efforts to deliver a superior customer experience and drive profitability through digital technology. Leveraging data and AI has also played a role in optimising promotions and improving inventory management.

Despite economic headwinds, Husaimen noted that the company achieved strong revenue and profit results, of US$6.2 billion and US$887 million respectively, by focusing on execution and the controllables.

“In 2023, we remain focused on making progress against our strategic priorities, positioning us for further success. We remain the category leader in denim globally, making consistent market share gains year-over-year,” he stated.

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