Our collaboration with the animated classic, *Princess Mononoke*, pays tribute to the enchanting world created by its makers, Japan’s pioneering Studio Ghibli. Here, the Levi's® design team discusses their creative process and inspirations.
LEVI’S® AND STUDIO GHIBLI ARE BOTH VERY DETAIL-CENTRIC AND ICONIC IN THEIR OWN WAYS.
– Levi's® Design Team
THE CRAFT
“Levi's® has a long history and a very iconic look—it's what’s made us stand out for 170+ years. And from the beginning of Studio Ghibli’s co-founding by Director Hayao Miyazaki, they’ve also been stylistically iconic—when you see one of their films, you know it’s Studio Ghibli.
Throughout Miyazaki’s work, his scrutiny of detail is unparalleled. The craftsmanship shows. And Levi's® has set the bar super-high as far as timelessness goes. Levi's® and Studio Ghibli are both very detail-centric and iconic in their own ways.
We built the collection around celebrating several of Levi's® iconic pieces—including our 501® ’93 Jeans, which came out roughly the time *Princess Mononoke* was released. But we also had pieces that lent themselves to a Japanese aesthetic.”
*PRINCESS MONONOKE* FEATURES HAND-PAINTED BACKGROUNDS DEPICTING GORGEOUS SCENES IN NATURE, AND THAT’S SOMETHING WE FELT REALLY INSPIRED BY.
– Levi's® Design Team
INTO THE LANDSCAPE
“We used the beautiful, lush environments, too. *Princess Mononoke* features hand-painted backgrounds depicting gorgeous scenes in nature, and that’s something we felt really inspired by. We wanted to bring an emphasis on that into the pieces.”
LIGHT DENIM DAY
“Our light indigo denim features key characters San and Ashitaka out in the sunlit day. For our San & Wolf Trucker Jacket and Ashitaka 501® ’93 Jeans (or, for warm days, the San & Moro 501® Shorts), we used the forest and sun background from the film, and integrated the scenery with the denim. The sky imagery is actually the light blue wash of the denim coming through, so it’s this lovely integration of the art and our denim.”
DARK DENIM NIGHT
“There’s a lot of play on the light and dark of the film—for instance, the Nightwalker, a forest spirit that only comes out during the night, dawn or dusk. On the advice of the Ghibli team, we were able to use their image on our darker indigo pieces—the Nightwalker Denim Kimono Jacket and the Kodama Denim Overall. The dark indigo creates the atmosphere out of which this character appears: the Nightwalker rises up into the nighttime sky with all the little Kodama, or tree spirits, in the treetops gazing up at them.”
THE PACING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DENIM AND THE GRAPHIC TEES MIMICS THE PACING OF THE FILM.
– Levi's® Design Team
THE GRAPHIC TEES & HOODIE
“While our approach to the denim was atmospheric, for the graphic tees and hoodie we moved closer to the characters, using the film’s own language to give voice to their ideologies—as with Ashitaka’s words: ‘To see with eyes unclouded by hate.’
These pieces are more direct, more streetwear-inspired than the denim. But there's a rhythmic juxtaposition between the two. *Princess Mononoke* has these beautiful, quiet moments—and then all of a sudden there’ll be a frenetic action sequence. Our pacing of the relationship between the denim pieces and our graphic tees and hoodie mimics the pacing of the film.”
BEAUTY IS IN THE SMALL THINGS
“We wanted to create little moments from the film that you could take around with you every day. Our bandana—a classic Western-American Levi's® piece—features San’s mystical red battle mask, so it felt like a marrying of the two. For a head-to-toe look, the Ancient Forest Bucket Hat can be worn with our light indigo denim hookup, but obviously you can wear it with other pieces, too. Another way to keep *Princess Mononoke* by your side—literally—is to carry our San & Ashitaka Tote, with San on one side and Ashitaka on the other. And our two coin bags, one featuring San’s mask and the other a Kodama face, are for wearing around your neck or hanging off a belt loop or tote.”
WE HOPE PEOPLE SEE IT AS A BIT OF A LOVE LETTER, FROM LEVI’S® AND STUDIO GHIBLI.
– Levi's® Design Team
FROM US TO YOU
“We tried to create moments within the clothing that were universally accessible—that work aesthetically whether you’re a casual observer or a super-fan. We hope people see the love and detail that went into this collection, how meticulous our work was. Most fans of Studio Ghibli films—and maybe particularly of *Princess Mononoke*—have a huge appreciation for the artistry that goes into them.
We hope people see it as a bit of a love letter, from Levi’s® and Studio Ghibli. We wanted to capture the beauty of the film and how meaningful the message is. We hope that, in seeing the collection, people feel nostalgic for the film. We hope people feel transported into the environment of the clothes. And we hope people feel excited to see their favorite characters, and wear them proudly.”
