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MARKETAnyone can make a pair of blue jeans, but Levi Strauss & Co. made the first blue jean, in 1873, and they draw upon their heritage to continually reinvent the blue jean for generation after generation.

Levi Strauss & Co. is known worldwide for its Levi’s brand of denim jeans. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children. Levi’s products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide in approximately 50,000 locations in more than 2,800 retail stores, including franchised, company-operated mainline and outlet stores, and shop-in-shops dedicated to the Levi’s® and Dockers® brands.

The annual revenues for Levi Strauss & Co were $4.49 billion for fiscal year 2015, which ended November 29th 2015, and the Levi’s® brand represents 85% of the business.

Levi’s are the number one leader in global jeanswear for both men and women.

ACHIEVEMENTSLevi Strauss & Co. made the first blue jean in 1873.An iconic brand such as Levi’s® has, not surprisingly, won many accolades over the years. Some of the most recent are:l Global Citizen Award for Improving Workers’ Well Being Programme from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (2013).l San Francisco Business Times Corporate Philanthropy Awards - Community Commitment Award (2012).l Treehugger Best of Green Awards - Best Jeans: Levi’s® Water<Less® (2011).l GoodGuide Apparel Rankings - Levi’s: Number One in Jeans Category (2011).l Human Rights Campaign Best Places to Work (2015).l Outfest Legacy Awards, The Guardian Award (2014).l Human Rights Campaign Best Places to Work (2014).

HISTORYMay 20, 1873 marked an historic day: the birth of the blue jean. It was on that day that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis obtained a US patent on the process of putting rivets in men’s work pants for the very first time.

Levi Strauss, a Bavarian-born dry goods merchant, came to San Francisco in 1853 at the age of 24 to open a West Coast branch of his brothers’ New York wholesale dry goods business. Over the next twenty years, he built his business into a very successful operation, making a name for himself not only as a well-respected businessman, but also as a local philanthropist. One of Levi’s customers was a tailor named Jacob Davis.

One day the wife of a local labourer asked Jacob to make a pair of pants for her husband that wouldn’t fall apart. Jacob tried to think of a way to strengthen his trousers and came up with the idea to put metal rivets at points of strain, like pocket corners and the base of the button fly. These riveted pants were an instant hit. Jacob quickly

decided to take out

a patent on the process, but

needed a business partner to help get

the project rolling. He immediately thought of

Levi Strauss, from whom he had purchased the cloth to make his riveted

pants. Davis wrote to Levi to suggest that the two men hold

the patent together. Levi, being an astute businessman, saw the

potential for this new product and agreed to Jacob’s proposal. The two

men received patent #139,121 from the US Patent and Trademark Office on May 20, 1873.

Soon, the first riveted clothing was made and sold. The first jeans were made out of denim, the traditional fabric for men’s workwear. Within a very short time, the jean was a bona fide success.

Levi’s consider May 20, 1873 the “birthday” of blue jeans, because although denim pants had been around as workwear for many years, it was the act of placing rivets in these traditional pants for the first time that created what we now call jeans.

The next time you see someone wearing a pair of Levi’s® jeans, remember that these pants are a direct descendant of that first pair made back in 1873. That year, two visionary immigrants - Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis - turned denim, thread

and a little metal into what has become the most popular apparel on earth.

Today, Levi Strauss & Co is a worldwide corporation organised into three geographic divisions: Levi Strauss Americas (LSA), headquartered in San Francisco; Levi Strauss Europe (LSE), based in Brussels; and Levi Strauss Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (LSAMA), based in Singapore. The company employs a staff of approximately 16,000 people worldwide.

PRODUCTThe Levi’s® brand epitomises classic American style and effortless cool. Since the invention and patent of riveted clothing by Jacob Davis and company founder Levi Strauss in 1873, Levi’s® jeans have become the most recognisable and imitated clothing in the world - capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. And while the patent has long since expired, the Levi’s® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry.

In 2009 Levi’s® partnered with Goodwill® to launch a partnership called “A Care Tag for Our Planet” to spread the word that small changes in the way we care for our clothes can help reduce our impact on climate change. Today, Levi’s® products include care tags encouraging consumers to “Wash less, wash in cold, line dry, and donate when no longer needed.” You can also bring old clothes and shoes— Levi’s® or not—to any Levi’s® store in the US they’ll collect them and reuse, repurpose, or recycle your donations with their partner I:CO. With your help, Levi’s® can divert 24 billion pounds of clothing, shoes, and textiles from American landfills every year.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTSRecognising that true innovation is best achieved by rethinking the entire apparel making

process, Levi’s® are breaking down the silos of design, sourcing and

production to develop more sustainable practices. Their collaborative approach to sustainable design has produced a number of important breakthroughs for their enduring brands. The latest Levi’s® Wellthread™ Collection represents a fundamental reinvention of the design process to incorporate sustainability into every stage of the development process. The end results are durable products with timeless, enduring style that are more responsible for both the people who wear them and the planet.

Opened in 2013, The Eureka Lab is Levi Strauss & Co.’s new global hub of product research and development for all of their brands. The state-of-the-art garment facility will be used by designers, production and sourcing teams to work side-by-side on seasonal fit and finish developments,

explore conceptual product

developments, and also experiment with continuous innovation projects. Levi’s® believe this lab allows them to continue their commitment to craftsmanship and new thinking in sustainability.

PROMOTIONLevi Strauss & Co has a long history of caring, both for the communities in which we work and live, and for the environment. They believe that making a mark in the world is about what you do, but also how you do it.For Levi’s® both the what and the how has been guided by the same values since their founding in 1853. Those values? Empathy. Originality. Integrity. Courage.Levi’s® like to say that their company and their products are Made of Progress, in part because they have a long history of firsts. Of leading. Of making a difference.l Levi’s® invented the blue jean.l Levi’s® made the first blue jeans for women.l Levi’s® integrated their factories before the law required it.l Levi’s® were the first multinational apparel company to establish a comprehensive workplace code of conduct for their manufacturing suppliers.l Levi’s® leaders stood shoulder-to-shoulder with employees to share information about HIV/AIDS, even before the deadly virus had a name.l Levi’s® were the first Fortune 500 company to grant domestic partnership health benefits.l Levi’s® launched Worker Well-being, a programme to improve the lives of apparel workers outside the factory walls.

l Levi Strauss & Co. made the first blue jean in 1873.l Levi’s® are the number one leader in global jeanswear for both men and women.l Levi’s® products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide in approximately 50,000 locations in more than 2,800 retail stores.l The company employs a staff of approximately 16,000 people worldwide.

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUTLEVI STRAUSS & CO

l Levi’s® were the first company in the industry to establish global guidelines for water quality standards for their suppliers.l Levi’s® were one of the first companies in their industry to establish a Restricted Substances List.l Levi’s® were the first to provide financial incentives for garment suppliers in developing countries to upgrade environmental, health, safety and labour standards

BRAND VALUES Levi’s® is a company that integrated

its sewing factories decades before it was required by law. They established the first code of conduct for apparel manufacturers, ensuring the people who make their product work in a safe environment and are treated with dignity and respect. And they work to build sustainability into everything they do. Ask an employee what makes this company different, and they’ll tell you. It’s their values: empathy, originality, integrity and courage. These guide every decision they make and every action they take. And they fuel their commitment to drive profits through principles.

Levi’s® mission is to deliver clothing that unleashes and inspires authentic self-expression everyday.

At Levi Strauss & Co., they’re dedicated to progress and are constantly in motion. They’re proud to have integrated their factories before the law required it, and they continue to engage with communities whenever they can, from implementing HIV/AIDS employee education, to championing equality for women and girls, to supporting communities around the world where they live and work. The Red Tab Foundation, an industry first, was started by a Levi Strauss & Co. employee to provide a financial safety net for company employees, retirees and their families.Levi’s® care deeply about doing the right thing. It’s why they’re working to build sustainability into everything they do. It’s why they joined the Better Cotton Initiative, which is committed to growing cotton in a way that’s healthier for communities and the environment. It’s why they’re producing Water<Less™ jeans, made with significantly less water. Levi’s® want to make sure their company is encouraging a healthy world and a better future.

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