Did James Murphy Just Make The Trucker Jacket Cool Again?

We mean, of course the Levi's trucker jackets — as used by heshers for their heavy-metal band-patch collections — that were cool back when we played hooky listening to Metallica and smoking cigarettes in the high-school parking lot (or was that just us?) But, when we left our headbanger days behind, we figured we'd said goodbye to the paneled jean jacket as well. But, Levi's and the mastermind behind the late, great LCD Soundsystem, plus a few noteworthy friends are giving the ol' girl another shot.

To celebrate the opening of their Champs Élysées store in Paris, Levi's has enlisted the help of DFA's James Murphy, Pedro Winters from Ed Banger Records, Mr. Andre, and Shepard Fairey to create in-store installations, well-curated music mixes, and, yes, trucker jackets. As you can see, the results of Murphy's and Winters' collabs with the great American denim brand add a little wit and tempered design sense to the back panel (Murphy's "Too Old To Be New, Too New To Be Classic," is especially fresh) that was once the home of so many Pushead illustrations. Now granted, these babies are only available at the Champs Élysées store (fate is cruel, we know, but we're scouring eBay) but Levi's, Murphy, and co.e may have just offered enough simple inspiration to rescue the trucker jacket for a new generation. Let's just all promise each other to keep the mullet in the past, okay?

For close up details, click through the slideshow.