What happens when American denim meets French couture? With her new LEVI’s collaboration, Christelle Kocher stitches together heritage, craftsmanship, and rebellion, proving the most iconic fabrics still have stories left to tell.
Christelle Kocher portrait
During Paris Haute Couture Week, designer Christelle Kocher unveiled her highly anticipated collaboration with LEVI’s. The 10-look capsule collection, through the lens of French couture, transforms denim with featherwork, embroidery, sculptural draping and exceptional artisanal craftsmanship. Christelle who has serves as Artistic Director of Maison Lemarié since 2010, one of CHANEL’s prestigious Métiers d’Art houses, brings together two seemingly opposing worlds exploring the limitless possibilities of denim through traditional French savoir-faire while celebrating the cultural legacy of one of fashion’s most iconic fabrics.
Photographed by Kayla Connors, the campaign captures both the cinematic beauty of the finished garments and the intricate craftsmanship behind them, from hand embroidery and feather constructions to sculptural textile manipulation. Christelle walked us through the while we discussed the enduring relevance and why preserving French artisanal craftsmanship has never been more important.
LEVI’s is one of the world’s most recognizable brands, while your work is deeply rooted in haute couture craftsmanship. What excited you most about bringing those two worlds together?
Everybody has a personal story with denim, it’s is part of everyday life. Everybody knows LEVI’s because it’s something people live with every day, and that’s exactly what made this collaboration so exciting. I loved the idea of taking such an iconic, everyday material and elevating it through couture craftsmanship, the way we treat it, work on it with crystals and feathers. Reinterpreting classics like the LEVI’s 501 allowed us to create something unexpected while respecting its incredible heritage.
Do you think denim can still be surprising, especially in couture?
I have always been inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier who was one of the first to do denim in couture, in a stunning blue indigo. Denim has been explored in fashion for decades, but I believe there are always new ways to reinterpret it. What interested me was bringing exceptional craftsmanship to such a familiar fabric and the fusion of an American heritage brand. That made the project feel fresh, and presenting it during Couture Week gave denim a completely different context.
Your philosophy has always challenged traditional ideas of luxury. Did working with denim open up any new possibilities for that vision?
Yes, because it allowed me to bring couture into everyday life. I love taking something that everyone recognizes and transforming it with artisanal techniques.
You describe this collection as reflecting your life between Paris and the New York. How did visiting the LEVI’s headquarters and archives in San Francisco influence the collection?
Visiting the archives was an incredible experience. You realize that LEVI’s is much more than denim, it’s part of cultural history. Seeing archival pieces connected to people from Marilyn Monroe to Elton John really showed how the brand has crossed generations, styles and cultures. Every garment carries a story. That experience inspired me to respect the authenticity of LEVI’s while bringing my own couture language to it. The challenge wasn’t to change its identity, but to celebrate its heritage and imagine a new chapter through craftsmanship.
If we visited your atelier while you were developing the collection, what would we have found pinned to your mood board?
My mood board is always very eclectic. Of course I had the iconic 501 pinned to it and the jumpsuit but also a picture of Marilyn Monroe in the high waisted, then some photography from the 1980 along with Irving Penn who is very couture, and a lot of artists. For me, working with textiles, inspiration comes a lot from paintings, women artist have always been very special to me. Its like taking raw material, a surface, to manipulate and create emotion. I see textile as a medium of art.
Where does your research begin?
I always begin with books, images and music because they help create an atmosphere. I was also inspired by art, female artists and in this one piece you can see the influence from Madame Grès, whose sculptural approach to draping has always fascinated me. I love walking through the streets and observing people – the energy, the movement and the contrasts. Inspiration comes from everyday life just as much as it comes from art, music and fashion history.
The collection transforms iconic LEVI’s pieces like the 501® into sculptural couture garments. Was there one archival piece that surprised you?
The 501 was fascinating because it’s such an iconic garment. It has survived generations and different cultures while remaining relevant. That made it exciting to reinterpret. It already carries so much history, so transforming it through couture felt very meaningful.
There’s a fascinating contrast between the raw honesty of denim and the delicacy of feathers, embroidery and plissé work. Why are you so drawn to pairing opposing materials and ideas?
I love contrasts because they create emotion. Denim is something strong and familiar, while feathers are delicate and unexpected. You wouldn’t naturally imagine putting those materials together, but that’s exactly why I find it beautiful. Opposites create something surprising.
What does denim represent to you personally?
Freedom. It gives movement, comfort and confidence. Denim belongs to everyone, and I love that democratic spirit. It’s a fabric that allows people to express themselves while feeling completely free.
After seeing so many iconic people wearing LEVI’s throughout history, who would you love to see wearing this collection, and how do you hope people feel when they wear it?
More than thinking about a particular person, I want anyone who wears these pieces to feel free and confident. I love movement, and I want the clothes to move with the body. Confidence is the most important thing.
Why is it important to communicate the craftsmanship behind couture today?
French couture represents exceptional craftsmanship, and it’s something we need to protect. Today, fashion moves incredibly fast and consumption is faster than ever. It’s important to pass these skills from one generation to the next whether it’s feather work, flower making, embroidery or pleating. These crafts are living traditions, and it’s our responsibility to keep them alive.
What do you think the LEVI’s team and the French couture ateliers learned from each other during this collaboration?
Each side brought something unique. The French ateliers have extraordinary savoir-faire, while LEVI’s has incredible technical knowledge and an unparalleled heritage. Bringing those two worlds together created a beautiful dialogue. We learned from each other, and that’s what made the collaboration so special.
How important is personal expression when you design a collection like this?
It’s essential. I always want people to make the clothes their own. I love creating pieces that move with the body and can be worn in different ways because fashion should encourage individuality. The person wearing the garment completes the design.
The collection feels unmistakably like your own aesthetic while remaining true to LEVI’s heritage. How did you strike that balance?
Respecting LEVI’s heritage was very important. We worked with reclaimed and archival LEVI’s pieces from San Francisco and transformed them using couture techniques. I wanted people to recognize LEVI’s immediately while also seeing my own creative language. It was about celebrating both identities equally.
Credits
Photographer: Kayla Connors
Model: Valeria Buldini
Production: Cinq Etoiles Production, Julien Lacroix
Studio: Studio Pulp
Hair: Tomohiro Ohashi
Make-up: Hélène Vasnier
Post-Production: Still Move
