Levi’s VP on how the brand is making and marketing plant-based clothing

As Levi’s marks the 150th anniversary of its iconic 501 jeans, the company has reinvented the classic style for a new generation of consumers focused on sustainable fashion, unveiling a plant-based 501, a hemp cotton blend Selvedge 501 and a circular 501.

The plant-based 501 is made almost entirely out of plant-based materials.

The fabric is made from 100 per cent OCS-certified organically grown cotton and dyed with plant-based indigo from Stony Creek Colors, a Tennessee-based natural dyehouse that has been working with Levi’s since 2021.

The garment back patch is made from a material called mirum, which can mimic the look of various fibres, from leather to carbon fibre. Created by NFW, it is fashioned from 100 per cent bio-based, plastic-free inputs, generating no effluent in production. 

The internal pocket bag is 100 per cent cotton and printed with BioBlack TX, a plant-based black pigment made from wood waste, manufactured in a closed-loop system and developed by Nature Coatings, another collaborating partner. 

Reshaping expectations

According to Paul Dillinger, VP head of global design innovation at Levi Strauss & Co, with the plant-based 501, the company is creating an opportunity for informed consumers to align their purchasing with their values – without sacrificing style, comfort or durability.  

“Now that we’ve introduced this new choice into the market, we will listen and learn from the consumer’s response: Does the message resonate? Is the product compelling? What can we do better?” he told Inside Retail.

He said that the plant-based 501 represents a small – but important – step in a much longer journey towards a balanced and healthy industry.   

“Innovative technologies and materials – like Stony Creek Colors’ natural indigo and NFW’s plant-derived alternative leather – need both patience and sustained commitment from their brand partners as they mature into industrially scaled suppliers,” he added.

He went on to say that to overcome the challenges of commercialisation in a highly competitive industry, these early-stage innovators need big brands to behave as kind customers.

This includes supporting their business development through consistent purchasing or equity investing, and forgiving the occasional late delivery or missed costing targets that are an inevitable feature of the innovation journey.

Following the science

According to Dillinger, the decision to create a plant-based pair of jeans was informed by an understanding of basic climate science and the overall impact of product creation and distribution processes across the entire garment lifecycle. 

“Climate change is indifferent to customer preference – so we can’t base our approach to sustainable design on market consideration. Our marketing and messaging, however, are informed by consumer preference and the lessons we’ve learned over the years,” he said.

He reiterated that environmental science is complex, but complexity isn’t a great PR strategy. He believes that the plant-based 501 concept has a simple, straightforward appeal that can resonate with nearly every consumer.  

“The concept also has depth, complexity, and nuance for the audience that wants to go deeper into the science of renewable materials,” he stressed.

Core values are key

Dilinger knows that the typical Levi’s consumer already appreciates the core brand values embodied by the 501 – quality, authenticity, and durability. 

“The attributes of our plant-based 501 – certified organic cotton, natural indigo, plant-based alternative leather, and wood-waste derived pigments – are straightforward features that just feel right when you pull them together into the world’s favourite pair of jeans,” he said.

According to him, the company trusts that consumers appreciate the quality of its products, and are willing to invest in purchasing them.  

“In our experience, people who appreciate Levi’s are willing pay the fair premium for an authentic message built around a credible claim,” he opined.

Education is paramount

Still, educating consumers about the benefits of plant-based jeans and their impact on the environment is a big mountain to climb.

“It’s like describing the vegetables on a steakhouse menu: the vegetarians already know they want them, the real steak enthusiasts don’t care – but anyone in the middle will ask the waiter about them. ‘Are the asparagus roasted or grilled? Is the spinach sautéed or creamed?’,” he said.

To extend the metaphor, Dilinger said he is more than happy to play the part of the waiter, and is eager to sit down and explain the features and benefits of plant-based jeans with anyone who is willing to listen. 

But while advertising plant-based jeans is a new challenge for Levi’s, the company has been encouraging customers to be more conscious of their purchases for some time.

“The Levi’s brand has an extraordinary history of creating compelling, values-guided advertising initiatives – including our recent ‘Buy Better, Wear Longer’ campaign and our current celebration of the 501’s 150th  anniversary,” he explained.

He also stressed that when the company dedicates its voice to meaningful storytelling, it is able to cut through the noise and deliver its message with authenticity and impact. 

Sustainability is here to stay

After decades of greenwashing and marketing hyperbole in the apparel sector, Dilinger said that there is now an energetic backlash of sustainability scepticism. 

According to him, recent legislative and judicial actions against major brands have created a climate of extreme caution and reputational risk avoidance. 

“As a result, the process for measuring and validating any consumer-facing claim attached to our plant-based 501 was the most rigorous design substantiation process I’ve ever experienced. When it comes to climate science, the truth matters. Fortunately – the predicate of Levi’s sustainability narrative is the truth,” he added.

Dilinger believes it has finally become impermissible to invent an aspirational “eco-claim” just to sell a product. In this new context of scrutiny and scepticism, he thinks we can expect the driving forces behind the “sustainable fashion trend” to be trade policy, commercial regulation, and litigation precedent for the foreseeable future.

The next big thing, according to him, is going to be the company’s earnest and disciplined effort to grow sustainable product initiatives that have already been brought to market.

“The fashion industry has a notoriously short attention span, and we need to bring attention to the importance of sustained and disciplined commitment to sustainable product initiatives,” he concluded.

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