For Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.), 2025 is shaping up to be a year of more loose fits, new denim fabrics and impactful marketing campaigns.
During the company’s Q4 2024 earnings call last week, LS&Co. CEO Michelle Gass reflected on her first year leading the company and what’s next for the heritage brand.
Looking back at 2024, Gass said LS&Co. positioned the company for sustainable, profitable long-term growth by sharpening by ending underperforming product lines, preparing for the sale of Dockers, accelerating DTC, expanding its store base globally and stabilizing its wholesale channel.
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“We advanced our evolution to become a true lifestyle apparel brand by rolling out a robust product pipeline,” she said, resulting in solid mid-single-digit growth for the Levi’s brand in the U.S. and internationally.
Along with making significant progress as an authority in head-to-toe denim fashion, Gass said consumers view Levi’s as “an authentic purveyor of Western wear,” turning to the brand for Western tops, shorts, jumpsuits, and dresses. The brand also had a strong year with denim outerwear and unconventional styles like puffers and trench coats.
“We have done all of this while fundamentally changing the way we work as part of our hard pivot towards becoming a best-in-class omni-channel retailer. We have right-sized our organization, expanded our product pipeline, and are streamlining how we work, including our go-to-market.”
The transformation is ongoing, and Levi’s aims to stay ahead of the market.
While denim market growth in 2024 was 1-2 percent globally, Gass said Levi’s overall growth was 3 percent. For men’s, the brand has the leading market share “by a mile” and for women’s Levi’s is “firmly in the number one position.”
“We were ahead of the market. So, we feel good about that,” Gass said. “It’s paramount for us to continue to maintain and grow share.”
What’s working
Roomy fits are a bright spot in Levi’s lineup. Gass said the brand continues to see outperformance in loose and baggy fits, driven by new fit launches like the women’s XL and Rib Cage Wide Leg and the Loose 568 and Relaxed 555 fits for men. Additionally, men’s non-denim bottoms show strength, fueled by the XX Chino series and Tech Pant platform, which Gass said will be expanded in 2025 to include more elevated products.
For 2025, Levi’s is building up this momentum in loose and baggy with additional launches and it will introduce a new line of denim, underscoring its focus on sustainability and innovation. It already kicked off the year by debuting a premium product line called Blue Tab.
The company anticipates another strong year for tops as well. Levi’s tops business overall was up 8 percent in 2024. “We feel very good on the trajectory that we’re seeing. We’re seeing growth,” Gass said, noting that growth isn’t limited to staples like logo tees and Trucker jackets. There’s also opportunity in essential tees, blouses, wovens and button-down shirts—all the classic pieces that pair with jeans.
“We want to be an iconic apparel company rooted in denim. And what that means is that we have permission to go into tops and dresses and skirts and outerwear and non-denim bottoms. And we are seeing really encouraging traction on all those fronts,” she said.
More from Beyoncé?
Christmas Day 2024 proved to be a big moment for Levi’s when it created several of the all-white Western denim looks dancers for Beyoncé Bowl, Netflix’s first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday halftime show and the first-ever performance of songs from the Grammy album.
Levi’s partnership with “Cowboy Carter” is paying off. Gass said culturally relevant marketing like the Fall 2024 “Reiimagine” campaign with Beyoncé is reaffirming Levi’s place at the center of the zeitgeist, and is driving demand across its business, especially in women’s.
“This partnership is having a significant impact on brand affinity within our target consumer demographics, while supporting our focus on growing our women’s business and owning denim lifestyle,” she said. “We’re excited to launch the additional chapters of Reiimagine throughout 2025 with the next iteration coming soon.”
