Exactly 140 years ago, Levi Strauss invented a simple blue jean that would forever change the way the world dressed. Wondering what will be the driving force for the next 140 years? Levi’s Made & Crafted. Taking hints from the archives, Levi’s Made & Crafted is all about contemporary fashion – but that’s not to say your 514s have gone out of style. As they frankly described it to me, “This is the future.”

With headquarters based in Amsterdam, over five thousand miles away from San Francisco, Levi’s Made & Crafted is in a league of its own. Whereas Levi’s Vintage Clothing reproduces the fits, fabrics and details of bygone eras, and Levi’s Red Tab is a reinterpretation of what’s already been done, Levi’s Made & Crafted pulls from heritage but pushes forward in a modern and innovative way. Designing tomorrow’s classics using today’s best materials and construction techniques, they source the majority of their fabrics from Italy, Japan and the U.S.

As you can see below, the Fall/Winter 2013 collection is inspired by the colors of a lake. Self-described “Americana nerds,” the international team behind the line has an interesting lens in which they view the brand we all grew up with. For example, instead of classic fits like the 501, the names in the Levi’s Made & Crafted collection range from Tack and Ruler to Shuttle and Needle. And with a tight distribution, don’t expect to ever see your friends with the same look. This can be our little secret.

Levi's Made & Crafted

Levi's Made & Crafted

While the Fall/Winter 2013 collection doesn’t drop until later this year, the Fall/Winter 2012 collection is available now at select stockists worldwide.