World Renowned Street Artist Shepard Fairey Publicly Unveils a New Art Installation Outside the Levi's(R) Times Square Flagship Store

World Renowned Street Artist Shepard Fairey Publicly Unveils a New Art
Installation Outside the Levi's(R) Times Square Flagship Store
Special installation commemorates the launch of Obey x Levi's(R), a
limited-edition clothing collection jointly designed by Fairey, OBEY Clothing
and the Levi's(R) Brand

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate the launch of the new,
limited-edition Obey x Levi's® apparel collection -- a line of street-inspired
menswear styles, co-designed by street artist, Shepard Fairey, his OBEY
Clothing collection and the Levi's® Brand -- the artist unveiled a special,
public art installation last night in front of the Levi's® Store in Times
Square. Executed on Military Island, in the heart of one of the world's
busiest intersections, this special event offered the public a rare, inside
view of the acclaimed street artist's unique process. The finished piece is a
layered collage of varying imagery, simultaneously addressing issues that
range from global warming to the power of propaganda to influence. To further
mark the occasion, Fairey also created a series of four new poster designs and
immediately following the mural's unveiling, the artist signed museum-quality
reproductions of these new works for fans who had eagerly lined up outside the
denim leader's Times Square store. The publicly-executed mural unveiled last
night was later affixed to the outside facade of the neighboring Levi's® Store
location and measures approximately 7.5 feet high x 24 feet wide. This work
is a part of a much larger Fairey-developed mural adorning the Times Square
store's exterior that is 68 feet in total length and wraps around the corner
of Broadway onto 44th Street. The work will be displayed outside of the
Levi's® Store in Times Square through November 5, at which point it will be
dismantled and removed from public view.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091030/NY02331-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091030/NY02331-b)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091030/NY02331-c)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091030/NY02331-d)

On teaming with Levi's® Jeanswear and the newly introduced poster series,
Fairey offered, "I've always felt that keeping my art bold, simple and refined
was a way to cut through the clutter, and it's a formula that Levi's® has
been using for decades that keeps them accessible and populist yet stylish and
relevant. The posters I created for Levi's® are returns to the roots of my
style: one side with an industrial propaganda poster feel that connects with
the heritage of Levi's® as a brand for workers, and the reverse side
reflecting my other biggest influence, punk rock, and the connection of
Levi's® to punk and rock in general."

"Shepard Fairey is a groundbreaking innovator who has changed the way art is
perceived and consumed in our world today. His revolutionary work uniquely
reflects the optimistic, pioneering spirit of the Levi's® brand, making Obey x
Levi's® a truly authentic collaboration," said Doug Sweeny, vice president of
Marketing for the Levi's® brand. "As fans and loyal supporters of Shepard's
pioneering art, we are proud to introduce this special clothing collection
rooted in Shepard's favorite Levi's® styles."

A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Shepard Fairey
was catapulted to super stardom last year when his "Hope" poster became the
predominant image of President Obama's successful campaign. But it was
Fairey's "Obey" guerilla art campaign that first gained mass attention nearly
a decade ago. His now infamous "Obey" images of Worldwide Wrestling
Federation star Andre the Giant continue to appear on public canvases
worldwide today and inspired Fairey to create OBEY Clothing - a collection of
street and skate-inspired apparel he introduced in 2001.

Fairey's unique art and view of the world captured the attention of many fans
at Levi's® and in 2002, the brand proudly sponsored Authentik - one of
Fairey's first art shows. The show, which was held at the Levi's® Vortex
Gallery in the San Francisco Levi's® Store, marked the beginning of the
relationship between Fairey and his favorite denim brand. Since then, there
have been several collaborative projects including a series of one-of-a-kind
"Obey" 501® jean art pieces, a timeline portrait collection of punk and rap
music trailblazers, a silk-screened image of Levi Strauss that Fairey created
to pay homage to Levi's® jeans' founder and the sponsorship of Fairey's
first-ever, career retrospective museum exhibition at the Institute of
Contemporary Art in Boston.

The launch of the Obey x Levi's® collection is the latest result of the
ongoing collaborative relationship between Levi's® and Fairey. The line
consists of a tightly-edited assortment of eight essential menswear pieces
that showcase fits, finishes, rips, patches and design details selected by
Fairey and inspired by his personal collection of Levi's® denim. Each piece
is a hand-customized original that is worn-in to evoke the look and feel of
one's favorite pair of jeans. Punctuated by "spray paint" drip details,
stenciled art imagery, pins and "wear and repair" finishing touches, the
collection is replete with exclusive branding details including an "Obey"
Giant tab-device that lives alongside the iconic Levi's® Red Tab and a
"Two-Horse" rear waistband patch that also includes a stylized "Obey" Giant
face.

The highly-collectible Obey x Levi's® capsule collection is carried
exclusively at select Levi's® Store locations in New York City, San Francisco,
Chicago and Santa Monica and at www.levi.com. A limited number of pieces are
also available at www.obeyclothing.com. Now on sale, the collection ranges in
price from $34.50 to $148. The series of four limited-edition Shepard Fairey
posters will be given away as a free gift, while supplies last, with the
purchase of any item from the Obey x Levi's® collection in the following
Levi's® Store locations: Times Square and Soho in New York City, Union Square
in San Francisco, Santa Monica and Chicago. The front side of each of the
four double-sided posters features artwork that exists as a stand-alone piece.
The reverse side of each poster also includes one piece of an oversized mural
image specially designed by Fairey. When all four posters are reversed and
laid out together, the larger mural image is then fully revealed.

About the Levi's® Brand
The Levi's® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool.
Since their invention by Levi Strauss in 1873, Levi's® jeans have become the
most recognizable and imitated clothing in the world- capturing the
imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi's® brand
portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative
spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading
jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing
individuals around the world to express their personal style. For more
information about the Levi's® brand, its products and stores, please visit
http://levi.com.

About Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1970 and currently
lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He received a BA from the Rhode
Island School of Design in 1991. He has had recent solo exhibitions at White
Walls Gallery, San Francisco (2008); Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
(2007); Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York (2007); Stolen Space, London (2007);
and Galerie Magda Danysz, Paris (2006). His works are in the collection of
the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art;
and the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego. Fairey is also the founder of
Studio Number One, a graphic design company.

About OBEY Clothing
OBEY Clothing, launched in 2001, was founded as an extension of Shepard
Fairey's Obey art campaign. Melding styles and influences of Shepard, OBEY
Clothing reflects a changing landscape of style by taking cues from classic
work wear to more forward design as well as cultural or geographic movements
and personal experience. Heavily impacted by music such as classic rock, hip
hop and punk in addition to pop culture references, political and anti war
imagery, there is a lot for the designers to pull inspiration from and create
diversity in style.

Since its inception, OBEY Clothing has quietly become an underground success
by transitioning Shepard's iconic poster art into a legitimate, respected
clothing label.

SOURCE Levi Strauss

Brett Anderson, Levi's(R) Public Relations, +1-212-704-3234,
banderson@levi.com, or Cathy Sohn, Press Office Ltd., +1-212-966-2221,
cathy@pressofficenyc.com, for Levi Strauss