Levi’s AW15 collection pays tribute to the brand’s American hometown roots, and to those that endure the hardships of skateboarding.

Skateboarding has always been associated with fashion, and almost anyone who has placed their feet on one of those boards has done so in a pair of Levi’s jeans. Their new collection sees innovation in comfort, breathability, strength, protection, and mobility for skateboarders, allowing them to front classic American style essentials, without loosing their  skate performance credentials.

A fully operational prison in San Francisco Bay acted as a base for the campaign. And the inspiration? A picture taken in 1988 of legendary skateboarder Mark Gonzales in a striped prison-like uniform gliding a vertical wall in the courtyard. The entire collection that we love so much today has had one sole reference – this photograph. It encompasses the importance of clothing when skateboarding; we find it hard to believe that performing such tricks and stunts would be comfortable in some super-tight spray on jeans. In order to attempt to jump a wall like Gonz you need a pair of Levi’s.

Featuring the Work Pant, the Quilted Mason Shirt, the Reform Shirt, and the absolute classics, the 2-Pack Tees, the collection echoes the sentiments of 30s and 40s workwear. Levi’s have reinvented previous collections and items of clothing, complementing the outfits of the Alcatraz groundkeepers in the 20th century.