Awake NY x Levi’s Gives Classic American Denim a New-Wave Spin
When it comes to a pair of classic blue jeans, Levi’s are as tried-and-true as it gets. Sitting on the newer end of American fashion is designer Angelo Baque’s Awake NY, a prime example of modern-day, head-turning streetwear. Now, the two are teaming up on a limited-edition collection of iconic jackets and jeans that feel as uniquely fresh as any covetable streetwear drop.
Baque, the longtime creative director at Supreme (and no stranger to collaboration), knows to swing for the fences when it comes with working with a legacy brand like Levi’s. To push the look and feel into new territory, he tapped into a well of vintage-inspired printed fabrics: animal prints, polka dots, patchwork stripes, and other patterns. This means vibrant colors and unexpected prints smash headfirst with vintage Levi’s Type III Truckers and 501 jeans. Each patch is stitched on with a contrasting black thread, creating a perfect rough-around-the-edges look that makes the garment feel a little timeless, and also a little ‘90s. The collection blends vintage menswear with bold, new-wave style in a way that makes blue jeans feel exciting. Which is really saying something, given that we’re living through menswear’s golden era of wild pants.
If you followed Baque in his old gig at Supreme, or his new one at Awake, then you know he understands the most covetable collaborations color outside the box. He’s done just that here. Taking two timeless American garments—a denim jacket and blue jeans—and covering them with eccentric patchwork and wild fabrics is a bold and unexpected move. It plays directly into the unapologetic, creative-driven attitude that Baque has woven into the DNA of Awake NY—and it also happens to make for jackets and jeans that feel anything but ordinary.
Article written by Tyler Watamanuk #GQ
