Shepard Fairey
has had a roller-coaster year. The Echo Park-based street artist
reached a career apex when his Obama “Hope” poster was inducted in the
Smithsonian, followed by a survey of his work at Boston’s Institute of
Contemporary Art, but lately Fairey has been dealing with the fallout
over a public battle with the Associated Press regarding propriety of
the “Hope” image.
Overshadowed by all the hoopla, Fairey has headed a clothing label
called Obey for eight years. And Obey has partnered with Levi’s for a
collaboration of affordable jeanswear debuting today at Levi’s flagship
store on Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade (select pieces are
available online on both Levi's and Obey websites).
Items range from a skinny black 511 jeans ($128) to a distressed
denim jacket (left, $148) with a built-in black terry hood, both come
festooned with Obey patches.
The Obey x Levi's graphic T-shirts combine Fairey’s trademark Andre the Giant logo fused with Levi’s batwing ($34.50).
If you ever had fantasies of tagging public property, you can stoke
your inner graffiti artist with a flannel shirt (right, $118) from the
collection that features “spray-paint drip" details.
The collection runs from $34.50 to $148.00 and a custom Obey bandanna comes with each item except the T-shirts.
Four
Fairey posters will be given out at the Santa Monica Levi’s store as a
limited-time gift with purchase while supplies last.
Tonight in New York, Fairey is also staging a live art installation outside the Times Square Levi’s Store.
-- Max Padilla
Levi's store, 1409 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica. (310) 393-4899. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Photo credits: Levi's
