Levi’s Made & Crafted

Earlier you mentioned as a source of inspiration the Internet. I am really on the fence about the Internet when it comes working in design – from personal experience I have used it but quickly encountered some severe limitations in actual “inspiration”. As a reference tool I think it is useful but I have always preferred travelling for inspiration.How does work for you with your work? If travel has an impact on your work where do you like going? Is it the destination that is inspiring or the journey?

The Internet -I’d agree with you, it’s a great reference tool – just think the fingertip access to so much information is absolutely amazing to people with nerd tendencies like me. Much of the time it may just point me in the direction of some other source of research such as buying books on Amazon, going to museums & galleries and travel.

Travel is a great education. To repeat the popular Mark Twain quote,” Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, all foes to true understanding”. Travel has a profound impact on the work we do at Levi’s XX. (I travel a lot – maybe 90+ flights a year and like I mentioned before, the group of people we have come from many nationalities and all are well travelled).

As you said, Made & Crafted is internally described as a “non-fashion” brand. How does effect your work as a designer in regards to making commercial pieces within the collection? Or do you even have to make commercial pieces within Made & Crafted? Who do you think off as a consumer when working?

Yes, internally Made & Crafted is sometimes referred to as ‘non-fashion’. It’s really meant as a direction for the product, which takes its inspiration from American classics, rather than catwalk photos from the latest fashion magazines. In that sense, there’s no deliberate push to follow fashion trends. There is consideration for the commercial aspect; it’s all part of good design. We aim to dress a mature consumer, not necessarily mature in age, but someone who is well informed, (someone who reads blogs such as yours!) appreciates good materials in simple shapes and doesn’t want clothing that’s screamingly loud or over branded.

Read more from the Steven Vogel interview here