Levi’s® Partners with Local Artist, Buqaqawuli Thamani Nobakada, on Custom 501® Window Art.

Following the festivities of 501® Day, Levi’s® continues the celebration of the iconic 501® denim through a partnership with local visual artist, Buqaqawuli Thamani Nobakada. For the collaboration, Buqaqawuli created two custom 501® art pieces that she eventually painted directly onto the store windows of the Levi’s® Sandton City and Levi’s® Cavendish Square stores. Shoppers were able to witness the live painting as they browsed the stores, with a first-hand view of Buqaqawuli bringing her designs to life.

“I think art is about celebrating human expression, so I wanted to add humanity to these pieces,” says Buqaqawuli on her thought process behind the designs. Her original sketches in the brainstorming process used references of a friend wearing 501® jeans. The end result of the design process lead to Buqaqawuli creating two portraits that feature local protagonist Obiazi Olivia Williams, inspiration from Obiazi’s recent 501® campaign.

“It felt like the perfect combination. I think Levi’s® is very human – it’s more than just the clothing or the item. It’s also about the memories that are attached to those things. I wanted that to come through, and I think that’s why the juxtaposition of portraiture and denim worked really well,” Buqaqawuli explains of the final art pieces.

Buqaqawuli’s live-painted artwork will be available to view on the store windows of Levi’s® Sandton City and Levi’s® Cavendish Square until the end of June 2022. Levi’s® 501® jeans are available for purchase online at Levi.co.za, in Levi’s® stores and at select retail partners.

The legacy of 501® jeans continues to represent the past, present and future of iconic style – a fit that really does get better with time. Mystery surrounds why “501®” was chosen, but one thing is for certain: it’s the number that changed everything.