Winning Team for Levi Strauss & Co. Sustainability Case Competition

From left to right: Zahin Ali, Jean Saung, James Zormier, Cecilia Xia, Leslie Chen

View the Levi Strauss & Co. Blog about this 2 week project from Fall 2010

“What happens when you bring left-brainers together with right-brainers? This semester, the Center for Responsible Business (CRB) partnered with California College of the Arts (CCA) to find out. Sustainable fashion design students from CCA were paired with students from UC Berkeley to work on the Levi’s Sustainability Undergraduate Case Competition. Participants were asked to create innovative solutions on how Levi Strauss can “close the loop profitably” with denim recycling, reuse, and resale.” ~~~Center for Responsible Business, UC Berkeley Haas Business School Newsletter

Judges from left to right: Benjamin Ospital (Owner & Founder, Modern Appealing Clothing), Michael Kobori (Vice President, Levi Strauss & Co.), Rebecca Malkin Chocron (Senior Director of Finance, Levi Strauss & Co.)

Click here to view our video explaining the project

Concept Explanation:

“Reach Potential”

We see the consumer as having great potential for awareness and action. As a leader in the industry, Levi Strauss has the potential to inform, involve, and empower its customers. Through Levi’s respect and belief in its customer’s understanding, ability, and influence, a relationship of trust and respect is born, and therefore brand loyalty.

Through the creation of a product that uses denim waste in it’s design details, we seek to instill the idea that each piece, no matter how small, has a role to play and a potential to be reached. Each action and contribution from a consumer, no matter how small, plays a role in saving our planet. Sustainability is reached when purpose is achieved and potential is not wasted. Starting with “One piece, one detail, one pair, one Levi’s Strauss”, we can change the world.

Product Explanation:

Being conscious of the environment and contributing to a better future can be natural and second nature. Not only is the Handkerchief (named “Strauss”) a practical and useful accessory, with the potential to function as a hang-tag during sale, a source of information to the consumer, and a multipurpose object, it also acts as a fashion statement, a sustainability/lifestyle statement, a catalyst for consumer involvement and action, a reminder and a constant companion. Versatile and adaptive, the handkerchief is a conscious, stylish and profitable product choice and it is our choices that determine our future. “Where would your Levi’s go without Strauss?” And were would our planet be without people who Appreciate, Conserve, and Contribute?