The New Way Shoppers Are Customizing Their Denim At Art Basel

Art and fashion are two seemingly disparate worlds that cross over far more often than you would imagine. Elsa Schiaparelli's iconic Lobster dress inspired by Salvador Dalí comes to mind, as does Marc Jacob's famous collaboration with Stephen Sprouse in 2001. And who can forget the Off-White and Futura collab that continues to fly off shelves, sometimes even fresh off the runway? But nowhere do these two creative industries blend more seamlessly than at Art Basel, the popular art show held in Miami Beach. This year, in the thriving art scene at Wynwood Arts District, brands once again turned toward artists in the spirit of collaboration — though not for the runway. This time around, it was all about casual, every day wear. At Levi's Haus Miami pop-up shop, guests gave their denim a contemporary art flair: think bold prints lasered onto jeans (through the brand's innovative Future Finish technology) or denim jackets flanked with a print of an artist's painting on the back.

And this wasn't just any art. People gravitated toward contemporary artists with a powerful, sociopolitical message. LA-based artist, Gianni Lee, lent his iconic portrait of a black woman goddess, "The Beheading of Seshat" to the Levi's Haus Miami pop-up shop, where people added it to their denim jackets at The Tailor Shop. Shephard Fairey's "Embrace Justice" was also a fan favorite, with shoppers pausing to take snaps of the iconic 2018 print, no doubt to share on their Instagram pages.

But unlike art and fashion collabs in the past, this crossover is "purely dedicated to self-expression," said Jennifer Sey, CMO Levi Strauss & Co. Global Brands. "Our fans have been personalizing their favorite jeans for decades. Now we can help them do it with advanced techniques." So, it was less about buying a designer it bag covered in graffiti, and more about embracing your personal style through customization, a trend we see gaining increasing momentum among Gen-Z shoppers.

The Levi's Haus Miami pop-up shop, located at 2700 NW 2nd Avenue, will offer customization and carry exclusive artist collabs with such names as the aforementioned Shephard Fairey, Gianni Lee, Futura, and graffiti artist Omayhra Mota. It's open through February 29, 2020.