If you haven’t found a good reason to visit QUEER BRITAIN, then here is a perfect one. It is ia museum of British LGBTQ history and culture located in Kings Cross, London which moved into its shiny new building owned by the UK ART FUND in May last year.
Currently, it is housing a first-of-its-kind showcase of archival garments in the exhibition From the Levi’s® Archives: Icons in Denim – A Queer Perspective. The Exhibit draws its inspiration from the passion fans have for Levi’s®, the symbolic place Levi’s® holds among the Queer community, and the extraordinary ways that Levi’s® jeans and jackets have been personalized by them.
The clothing items from Levi Strauss & Co. archives are displayed together for the first time outside of the U.S. From artists to rock legends to movie stars, every facet of the queer community has donned Levi’s® in their own unique way and the curation captures their authentic self-expression. All showcased products were hand-selected from the Levi’s Archives, and tell stories of hope, creativity, and resilience.
Curated by Tracey Panek, LS&Co. Historian who told Queerguru The products and stories this exhibition showcases are pioneering and celebrate conversations around equality and inclusivity. They come from an esteemed list of icons and everyday people who have donned Levi’s® in their own unique way,
Joseph Galliano-Doig, Co-founder and Director of Queer Britain added I remember when I first came out in the early 90s, how essential a pair of 501® jeans was as a queer signifier – they are iconic in their own right. Then to be able to show Jake Gyllenhaal’s costume from Brokeback Mountain and the amazing Empress Kimono well as Elton John’s outfit takes that idea to a whole new level.”
Highlights from the exhibition include:
- Levi’s ® 501® Jeans worn by Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. 1980.
- Levi Strauss Signature Jeans and T-Shirt worn by Jake Gyllenhaal in multi-Oscar winning film Brokeback Mountain. 2005
- Levi’s® ‘Empress’ Jacket, inspired by a kimono, the Levi’s® jacket was created for a DIFFA event. The denim is dyed yellow and is signed by Beauregard, Beau Black, Stephen Dunn. 1994.
- Levi’s® Sir Elton John Jacket, customized for and signed by Sir Elton John for a DIFFA charity sale event. April 1994.
- Levi’s® Protest Jacket, custom painted by artist Serge Gay, Jr. to reflect his concerns as a Black gay man. 2020.
- Levi’s® 501® Jeans and T-Shirt owned and worn by California’s first openly gay elected official Harvey Milk. 1970s.
The exhibition opened on Friday 29th September for two weeks, concluding on Friday 13th October.
Selected items will move to the main gallery space for 2 months before returning to the LS&Co.
Archives in the Levi’s® brand’s hometown of San Francisco.
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