Levi’s celebrates 25th anniversary of Pokémon with ’90s inspired clothing collection

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest anime entertainment franchises of all time, the international fashion brand Levi’s has partnered with the Pokémon Company to launch a 90s-inspired Levi’s x Pokémon collection 

Inspired by the first season of the original Pokémon animated series, the collection includes a range of Levi’s denim, tops, bottoms, fleece, tees, and accessories all of which feature graphics and prints of both the popular characters and the woodland settings of the Kanto region.

Notable pieces include the ’90s style Vintage Fit Trucker Jacket and 551 Z Authentic Straight jean in stonewash indigo, both featuring oversized embroidered Pikachu and lightning bolt patches for the Electric-type Pokémon.

“It’s so fun to hear people talk about their love of Pokémon. Everyone has their favorite. So the fact that we had this  ability to play and create with so many iconic Pokémon and characters, was really a special experience,” said Karyn Hillman, chief product officer at Levi Strauss & Co.

“It’s such  a thoughtful collection that respects and celebrates the  world of Pokémon, and it was so cool mixing our icons  and history with theirs – it’s nostalgic and optimistic, with  a little bit of escapism.”

Amy Sachtleben, direcotr of licensing at The Pokémon Company International, added: “In its 25th anniversary year, the Pokémon brand  is celebrating its enduring legacy in pop culture  with fans around the world. Our friends at Levi’s have developed a collection featuring icons of the  franchise that blends the spirit of the era when Pokémon first launched with the style sensibilities of today in a way only Levi’s could.

“This has been a  tremendously fun collaboration with Levi’s® to look  back at Pokémon’s origins and offer fans who grew  up with the brand and today’s trendsetters a way to  infuse cute and clever Pokémon nostalgia into their  style.”

Also included is a range of graphic tees that features  throwback character art, such as Ash, Misty and Pokémon from that classic first season. And, for  fans of Misty, there’s even the Levi’s Misty Short and Misty Tank, an homage to the iconic outfit she  wears in the series. 

Accessories and sundries also get the Pokémon treatment, like a red and white trucker hat similar to the hat worn by Ash Ketchum in the series. Or the Pikachu knit beanie with yellow three dimensional Pikachu ears.

There’s also an all over floral Pokémon print gym bag, a Poké Ball crossbody bag and clip-on pouches with Pokémon characters embroidered on the front. And, on the sundries, the collection features Pokémon branding  on Levi’s back patches, Red Tabs that mimic red and white Poké Balls, and buttons stamped with  Pikachu and Poké Balls. 

The Levi’s x Pokémon collection will be available worldwide on Levi.com, the Levi’s App, in Levi’s stores, and in select wholesalers on 15th February 2021.