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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION............ exhibition summary...... background.............. LVC COLLECTION..........
Brooklyn denim Co
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installation............ photos.................. invitation.............. launch event............ press & social media....
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FUTURE INSTALLATIONS
elements
SWEATSHIRTS............. FILM.................... EXHIBITION.............. FENDER + LEVI'S速.........
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EXHIBITION SCHEDULE..... 34
inspirationLA
booth design............ photos.................. invitation.............. custom signage.......... press & social media....
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
To launch the SS13 Hot Rod collection, Levi’s Vintage Clothing created a unique exhibition inspired by 1950’s Hot Rod culture.
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The installation launched in Los Angeles and New York, and will go on to travel internationally, establishing Levi’s heritage in Hot Rod culture. ®
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SUMMARY
ELEMENTS
ɆɆ35 sweatshirts customized by Von Franco ɆɆHot Rod circa 1953, a film by Aaron Rose ɆɆExhibition paying tribute to hot rodding pioneer Norm Grabowski ɆɆFender Stratocaster® + Levi's® Vintage Clothing special design project ɆɆ1000 Limited edition Von Franco Catalogs
LOCATIONS
ɆɆInspirationLA, Long Beach, California 2/8,2/9, 2013 ɆɆBrooklyn Denim Co., Brooklyn, New York 2/22-2/28, 2013 ɆɆAce Cafe, London, United Kingdom 3/6–3/12, 2013 ɆɆ14oz, Berlin, Germany TBD ɆɆTokyo, Japan TBD
EVENTS
ɆɆFour targeted invitation-only launch events
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BACKGROUND
The term Hot Rod first appeared in California in the 1930's to describe cars with large engines modified for linear speed. These early cars were typically old T-Models from scrap yards customized by young enthusiasts with little or no money but a D.I.Y. punk attitude. After WWII Hot Rodding exploded and became one of post-war America’s biggest crazes. Money in their pockets and mechanical skills gained in the military made the production of dream cars possible. By the 1950's sophisticated paint designs decorated the body and competition in customizing became so fierce that top cars doubled as exhibition pieces. Levi's® clothing was first choice for the sharply dressed car owners and spectators. With ankle cropped pants and short sleeved shirts worn with straw hats their look was as considered as the machines themselves.
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LVC COLLECTION
Levi's® Vintage Clothing digs deep into the Levi's® Archives to reproduce iconic garments from bygone eras. For Spring 2013, Levi's® Vintage Clothing pays tribute to the golden era of the American Hot Rod, and the sharply dressed car owners and spectators who sported Levi's®. In addition to releasing the collection of Hot Rod inspired jeans and Sportswear, Levi's® Vintage Clothing presents a collection of vintage photography, special events and collaborations initiated by the brand.
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Elements
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SWEATSHIRTS
To celebrate Hot Rod culture and its legacy, Levi'sŽ Vintage Clothing collaborated with the legendary Von Franco to create 35 one-of-a-kind Kustom Monster sweatshirts. Each Levi'sŽ Vintage Clothing 1950's Crew Sweatshirt has been individually airbrushed by the master himself, and documented in a limited-edition catalog. Legends like Von Dutch, Ed “Big Daddy� Roth, Newt, Stanley Mouse and later Von Franco, were renowned for the weird and wonderful “Monster� artworks that they painted and sold at car shows around the United States. Their distinct aesthetic, although massively popular with Hot Rod enthusiasts and essential to the visual culture of the sport, has since had a wide-ranging influence on graphic design and fashion, most notably setting the tone for t-shirt art in the surf, skate and punk movements.
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FILM
Hot Rod: Circa 1953 A Levi’s Vintage Clothing Film by Aaron Rose ®
® Levi's Vintage Clothing teamed up with Los Angeles-based filmmaker and curator Aaron Rose (Beautiful Losers, Art in the Streets, Sister Corita, etc.) to make a short film about the origins of Hot Rod culture in 1950's Southern California. Rose pulled from hundreds of hours of archival footage ranging from old "juvenile delinquent" movies and Life Magazine drag-race films to home movies unearthed from personal collections. He also interviewed some of the surviving founders of the scene, including legends like world champion drag-racer "TV Tommy" Ivo and master painter, cartoonist and car enthusiast Robert Williams. The result is a striking and fast-paced film that captures the style and attitude of the uniquely American post-war subculture which continues to influence the worlds of fashion, music and technology today.
ɆɆDirected by Aaron Rose ɆɆProduced by Jon Barlow and Sue Yeon Ahn ɆɆArchival Research by Alexis Owens ɆɆMusic Supervisor Cali Thornhill-Dewitt ɆɆSound Mix by Eddie Kim ɆɆEditorial and Motion Graphics by Thomas McMahon
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FILM STILLS
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Hot Rod
EXHIBITION
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Father of the T-Bucket: Remembering Norm Grabowski Norm Grabowski (1933-2012) was the most influential hot rod builder of the 1950's. He passed away last October at age 79. To celebrate his legacy, Levi's速 Vintage Clothing has curated a tribute exhibition of photographs and publications that showcase his lasting impact on American culture. Grabowski's widely influential T-bucket hot rod was a DIY-combination of a shortened 1922 Ford Model T touring car, Model A pickup truck bed, and powerful Cadillac overhead valve engine that he took from his parents sedan. The T-bucket's unique appearance and stance invigorated DIY culture, inspiring hot rod enthusiasts to make their own versions. The T-bucket's cult status propelled it into 1950's pop culture. It was featured on the covers of Car Craft and Hot Rod magazine and on a full page of a 1957 issue of Life Magazine. It was then immortalized by television show 77 Sunset Strip, where it was driven by character Kookie (Edd Byrne) and became forever known as The Kookie Kar.
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Hot Rod
EXHIBITION
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Portrait of Grabowski with the Kookie Kar by Bob D'Olivio REcap
Cover of Life magazine Grabowski's car was featured in Life Magazine
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FENDER + LEVI'S®
Fender Stratocaster® Hot Rod Tribute This Spring, two of America's most iconic brands pay tribute to the origins of Hot Rod culture through a set of handmade, one-of-a-kind items. As inspiration for this special design project, the two brands imagined a young GI who had just returned home from WWII with a DIY spirit and a penchant for fast cars and fast music. Whether it was his cars, his clothes or his instruments, he "Hot Rodded" everything to make them perform better and look cooler. The guitar is a replica of a 1957 Stratocaster® that has been painstakingly built and relic-ed by Fender Custom Shop's Master Builder, John Cruz, to portray many years of hard wear and play—in and out of the garage. Levi's® Vintage Clothing, the Brand at Levi's® that is dedicated to reviving iconic Levi's® styles from the last 140 years, similarly designed its contribution as a full outfit that the Hot Rodder would have worn while working on engines or jamming with friends.
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InspirationLA
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PAGE 16/36 INSPIRATION LA: BOOTH DESIGN
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Von Franco, artist collaborator REcap
PAGE 17/36 INSPIRATIONLA: PHOTOS
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PAGE 18/36 INSPIRATIONLA: INVITATION
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PAGE 19/36 INSPIRATIONLA: CUSTOM SIGNAGE
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PAGE 20/36 INSPIRATIONLA: PRESS & SOCIAL MEDIA
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Brooklyn Denim Co.
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PAGE 23/36 BROOKLYN DENIM CO: INSTALLATION
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PAGE 24/36 BROOKLYN DENIM CO: PHOTOS
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INVITATION
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PAGE 27/36 BROOKLYN DENIM CO: LAUNCH EVENT
Exclusive launch event presented by Levi’s Vintage Clothing and Brooklyn Denim Co.
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ɆɆWeek-long custom retail exhibition at key New York account ɆɆInvitation only launch event, Saturday February 23rd 7pm-10pm ɆɆ200 attendees ɆɆLocal DJ Dominic Leon spinning 50's and 60's vinyl ɆɆDrinks and snacks from local producers Brooklyn Larger beer, White Pike Whiskey and McClure's pickles and pickle flavoured chips ɆɆVon Franco catalogs given out to attendees
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PAGE 28/36 BROOKLYN DENIM CO: LAUNCH EVENT
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PAGE 30/36 BROOKYN DENIM CO: PRESS & SOCIAL MEDIA
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Click images to view posts online
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Future Installations
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PAGE 34/36 FUTURE INSTALLATIONS
Levi’s Vintage Clothing’s tribute to the Hot Rod installation will travel to Europe and Japan, before the Von Franco custom sweatshirts are available for sale in select stores around the world. ®
London
ɆɆAce Cafe London, UK ɆɆMarch, 6th Germany
ɆɆBerlin, 14oz ɆɆTBD Japan
ɆɆTBD
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DRIVE
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Tuck and roll!