Into the Blue: Levi’s Blue Tab Collection Is a Peek Into the Future

For Levi’s Collections design director Paul O’Neill, their new Blue Tab collection is a celebration of history and a peek into the future.

In the 1950s, a man and his friend went straight from a fishing trip and into a hotel. Well, at least they attempted to. At the door, they were denied entry because of their outfits, of all things: Levi’s 501 jeans with denim jackets to match.

This man was Bing Crosby, the American actor and musician recognized for his Oscar-winning role as Father Charles O’Malley in the 1944 musical Going My Way, and whose greatest hits catalogue includes a number of classic Christmas tunes. When Levi’s caught wind of the incident, they created a denim tuxedo for Crosby, where on the inside, a large leather patch read: “To hoteliers everywhere, please allow anybody wearing this product into your establishment.”

Levi’s Collections design director Paul O’Neill recalls this story in Tokyo, during a fireside chat at the launch of their new Blue Tab collection. “The actual blue tab has been around for a little while,” the Dublin-born designer explains. “It’s come up in several different collections. But the one thing it’s always represented [is] the pinnacle and the premium for Levi’s.”

The American denim brand was founded in 1853 by Bavaria-born Levi Strauss, who spent time in New York City working with his brothers in their dry goods wholesale business. Eventually, he launched a dry goods business of his own in San Francisco, which he named Levi Strauss & Co.

However, it wasn’t until 20 years later that the blue jean was born. On May 20, 1873, the website reads, “Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis obtained a U.S. patent on the process of putting rivets in men’s work pants for the very first time.” When 1936 came, they introduced the red tab to Levi’s, on the back pocket of the 501. “And what that red tab was was a way to identify a pair of Levi’s. I can see a red tab from across the room,” O’Neill says, “that bright red color that contrasts so well against that dark indigo. It’s a real identifier of a Levi’s product.”

With the blue tab on the other hand, you have an indigo blue logo against indigo blue jeans, which the designer expresses is a more refined, understated way to brand the product. The collection draws from vintage Levi’s jeans, which according to O’Neill, Japanese collectors in the ’80s used to travel to America to source. He took inspiration from the 501s when crafting garments for this release, which include chambray shirting, Scout jackets, and flare jeans. 

Vogue Philippines fashion director Pam Quiñones, who was in Tokyo for its launch, observes of the pieces, “They look timeless and quite classic, but at the same time, you could sense that there were really subtle engineered structures that made it more interesting.” She also notes the clothes’ unisex appeal, with garments having a looser fit and softer fabrication, reminiscent of well-loved and well-worn vintage denim.

This was the intention behind the designs that took after O’Neill’s ethos of form following function, which was the first thing he learned in design school. It was always about building aesthetics around utility, which is at the core of Levi’s; their 501 jean was invented for practicality, after all. O’Neill emphasizes, “I think it’s really important for a brand to have the historic past in a very elevated product, but also to show where we’re gonna go.”

For Blue Tab, the brand partnered with Japanese denim mills which the design director describes as having become the best denim makers in the world, citing their high level of expertise. “We can really  zoom in on the details,” he shares. Levi’s doesn’t simply purchase the denim from the mills, but rather works together with them to push design forward and create novel and exciting variations. That includes exploring natural indigo shades or making use of different colored yarns, so that when a layer of denim chips off over time due to wear, color is revealed from underneath. “Not everything always works the way we want,” O’Neill admits. “But we learn something new when we try things.”

Over in Manila, the collection is first worn by fresh faces from all over the Philippines. Ryzah Ortiz, from Makati, describes her first Vogue shoot as transformative. “The editorial denim shoot was a dream come true. Denim, with its raw and timeless quality, brought out a certain rawness and energy that felt both grounded and elevated.” 

Elevated. It’s the same word used by O’Neill to describe where exactly he wants to take the collection. That is, somewhere more sophisticated. Denim isn’t only for the streets, he insists, and he wishes for it to be worn in many other places and fine establishments. “Of course we have a lot of our classics, our 501s, our 511s, but now we can introduce a more formal look,” he says, gesturing to the ensemble he has on: a dark wash, two-piece tuxedo that earned denim its a seat at the table. Or, in Bing Crosby’s case, a foot in the hotel door. 

By TICIA ALMAZAN. Photographs by KARL KING AGUÑA. Fashion Director PAM QUIÑONES. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Fashion Associate: Neil De Guzman. Producers: Anz Hizon, Julian Rodriguez. Lighting Director: Rojan Maguyon. Photographer’s Team: Ruby Pedregosa. Production Designer: Justine Arcega. Makeup Artists: Christian Rey Arapoc, Neal Allen from Gery Penaso. Hair Stylists: Mong Amado, Patty Cristobal. Nails: Extraordinail. Models: Gabrielle Lantzer, Graycen Prowel, Maxene Sanchez, Mia Golosino, Naomi Kurechi, Rain Pizana, Ryzah Ortiz, Yasmine Talion. Shot on location at Backyard Warehouse Studio.