Left: two people pose in a field of tall grass wearing blue and green tie-dye-like items from the Levi's® x Princess Mononoke collaboration. Right: a close up of the back of someone wearing denim shorts with a green tie-dye pattern from the Levi's® x Princess Mononoke collaboration.

Brands

Introducing Levi’s® x Princess Mononoke


Levi Strauss & Co.
August 9, 2023

The Levi’s® x Princess Mononoke collection is now available to consumers around the world, allowing fans to experience the movie’s wonder and beautiful aesthetic wrapped into their favorite Levi’s® products.

Produced by Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, “Princess Mononoke” is a historical fantasy film that chronicles an ongoing conflict between the gods of the forest and the humans who consume its resources. Featuring breathtaking landscapes and timeless themes of environmentalism, the movie was a box office hit around the world when it was released in 1997. Levi’s® teamed up with Studio Ghibli to weave the classic film’s artistry and poetry into iconic Levi’s® products.

“Over 25 years after its release, Princess Mononoke continues to resonate deeply with audiences across the globe as an animated icon,” said Karyn Hillman, LS&Co.’s chief product officer. “It was a joy to collaborate with Studio Ghibli and create such a beautiful collection that pays tribute to this compelling, artistic masterpiece.”

The collection features graphic tees, a hoodie, a Trucker jacket, 501® ’93 jeans, 501® shorts, denim overalls, a denim kimono jacket and several accessories that honor the environmental storytelling and strong characters of this cinematic masterpiece.

“We used the beautiful, lush environments, too,” said the Levi’s® design team. “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.”

Each piece of the collection captures the essence of the forest and the beauty of a deeply connected ecosystem. The film’s forest and sun background are seamlessly integrated into atmospheric denim with the San & Wolf Trucker Jacket, the Ashitaka 501® ’93 Jeans and the San & Moro 501® Shorts. Building off the brand’s darker indigo pieces, the Nightwalker Denim Kimono Jacket and Kodama Denim Overall evoke the mood of the characters’ environments, while the collection’s graphic tees and hoodie gravitate toward the characters themselves. More streetwear-inspired than the denim products, the relationship between the denim pieces and graphic tees and hoodie mimics the film’s rhythmic juxtaposition between beautiful, quiet moments and frenetic action sequences.

The collection is rounded out with a series of accessories inspired by the film. A classic Western-American Levi’s® bandana features San’s mystical red battle mask, while the Ancient Forest Bucket Hat can be worn to complete a head-to-toe look. A tote features San on one side and Ashitaka on the other. There are also two coin bags, one featuring San’s mask and the other a Kodama face, which can be worn around the neck or hung off a belt loop or tote.

You can read more about the design inspiration for the collection on Off the Cuff. The collection is selling fast, so head on over now or to your closest Levi’s® store before it sells out!