Barbie Ferreira, the 26-year-old model and actress best known for her role as Kat Hernandez in the HBO series “Euphoria,” is collaborating with Levi Strauss & Co. on the Levi’s x Barbie Ferreira capsule collection. The collection features a recurring bunny doodle hand drawn by artist and Ferreira’s best friend Ben Evans.
This is Ferreira’s second collaboration with Levi’s, having designed two different pairs of jeans last year, including a patchwork style.
Ferreira said one day Evans drew a tattoo for her, and she wanted a logo that was representative of her and they came up with a “demon bunny,” or “a little doodle.” They incorporated the logo onto many of the products.
Highlights of the collection are an oversize long dress coat made from washed black denim, with Evan’s doodles printed on the piping along the interior seams ($295) and a Lace-up Corset, with lace-up details in the front and smocking in the back, which allows for an adjustable fit ($85) and can be paired with the Lace-up Flare Jean, a midrise flare with lace-up details at the side hips and back-patch emblazoned with Evan’s bunny drawing ($115).
Bottoms include a pair of ’90s 501 jeans, featuring an allover graphic bunny print made with a bleach Splatter effect ($135), and a chartreuse pleated skirt with a raw, distressed hem ($105).
In tops, the collection offers a Second Skin Top, a tight mesh long-sleeve shirt with a ’90s amoeba-style print and thumb holes ($55), and an oversize Bunny Tee, a relaxed black T-shirt with a glow-in-the-dark bunny graphic ($65). The collection also offers the matching reversible Tulip Hat, made with chartreuse denim on one side and the ’90s amoeba-style print on woven fabric on the other ($85).
“The collection was inspired by my love for beautiful scenes and creating a story with my everyday wardrobe. I wanted to play with silhouettes that are reminiscent of costuming from my favorite movies. It was important for me that the collection lived somewhere between a dark fairy tale and a nostalgic dream,” said Ferreira.
To bring the campaign to life, Ferreira turned to her longtime collaborator and friend Petra Collins, an artist and director. Having photographed her since she was a young model (she modeled from 16 to 21 before she started acting), they did a photo shoot together that captures Ferreira in the collection with Collins’ otherworldly visual touch.
Asked about Ferreira’s aesthetic, she said, “After all is said and done, it’s very dreamy, nostalgic and dark. I really wanted to play into very cinematic colors, and shoot it at night in the rain and have expressive movement. I wanted it to be a story in itself, or part of a movie. The way everything fits is very rainy day, very autumn, in an innocent, nostalgic, dreamy way.”
Ferreira said she drew what she wanted on her iPad, went to Levi’s in San Francisco and saw how everything is made. “I definitely designed it and worked with Levi’s on the designs. That’s my favorite part,” said Ferreira.
She said it was very important to her to have an expanded size range. “As close as we could to a fit that’s flattering and works for people for different size ranges, we tried to work on that,” she said.
The jeans run from sizes 24 to 22W. Shirts are XS to 3X, T-shirts range from XS/S to 3X/4X, the coat ranges from XS/S to 3X/4/X, the corset and second skin top run from XS to 3X, and the reversible hat is one size.
“I’ve always been a denim fan and wanted to make denim that had a cool fit and that everyone could wear them,” said Ferreira.
The capsule launches Nov. 17 and will be available worldwide on levi.com, the Levi’s app and select Levi’s stores. Urban Outfitters is the exclusive wholesale partner in the U.S., both online and in-store. The collection will also be sold in Selfridges in the U.K., La Samaritaine in France, and Vitkac in Poland.
When asked who the collection is geared to, she said, “Honestly, I think anyone who is interested in more gloomy looks. People who like silhouettes that are a little bit baggy, there’s also sexy. It depends on what you like.”
As for her favorite pieces, she said, “I love the coat. It’s such a good denim and it’s like a long duster. I love the color and I think it’s moody and the buttons are really cool. Anyone can wear it, regardless of gender. It’s just a cool jacket. Another one I can’t wait to rock and wear is the jeans with my logo splattered in.”
She said she’ll be wearing and promoting this collection. “I think the kids are going to like it,” she said.
Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike is over, Ferreira is excited that three movies that she had worked on in the past year can be released. “I’ve been focusing on being really creative during this time, and working on this Levi’s collab and these three separate films,” she said.
As reported, Levi’s has been doing well with its own stores and website, but having a tougher time with outside merchants.
“The things that are well within our control are doing really, really well and the things that are outside of our control are kind of a bit of a drag on the business,” said Chip Bergh, president and chief executive officer, when releasing third-quarter results last month. “We’re continuing to grow share. We grew share with men’s, women’s and amongst the key 18- to 30-year-olds, our DTC [direct-to-consumer business was up strong double digits….Unfortunately, all of that double-digit growth was offset by a very, very soft wholesale business, which was down 10 percent [in constant currencies] globally.”
The company’s DTC business grew by 14 percent overall and was led by a 19 percent expansion in e-commerce. The wholesale business, however, declined by 8 percent in reported dollars with decreases in North America and Europe overwhelming gains in Asia and Latin America, as reported.
