Levi Strauss
Founder of Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss (1829 to 1902) was the Bavarian-born American merchant who founded Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco. With tailor Jacob Davis he received the 1873 patent for riveted work trousers, the origin of blue jeans and one of the most important products in fashion history.
| Role | Founder of Levi Strauss & Co. |
|---|---|
| Born | 1829, Buttenheim, Bavaria |
| Died | 1902, San Francisco |
| Founded | 1853, San Francisco |
| Key patent | Riveted work trousers, 1873, with Jacob Davis |
Who is Levi Strauss?
Levi Strauss was born in 1829 in Buttenheim in Bavaria and died in San Francisco in 1902. He emigrated to the United States in 1847, became an American citizen in 1853 and built a wholesale dry goods business in San Francisco. The company he founded, Levi Strauss & Co., dates its origins to 1853 and is still known worldwide for its jeans.
Career
After working with his brothers in the dry goods trade in New York, Strauss moved to San Francisco during the Gold Rush era. His business imported and sold clothing, bedding, combs, purses, handkerchiefs and other goods to the small general stores of the American West.
One of his customers, Jacob Davis, a tailor in Reno, Nevada, had found a way to strengthen work trousers by reinforcing the pocket corners with metal rivets. In 1873 the two received a US patent for an improvement in fastening pocket openings, and Levi Strauss & Co. began producing riveted work trousers, the garment now known as blue jeans.
- 1847: emigrates to the United States
- 1853: Levi Strauss & Co. traces its founding to this year
- 1873: receives the patent for riveted work trousers with Jacob Davis
- 1902: dies in San Francisco; the business passes to relatives
Influence on the fashion business
The riveted denim work trouser became one of the most widely worn garments in the world. Over the twentieth century jeans moved from workwear to youth culture and everyday fashion, and the company's 501 jean, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2023, became a design classic. Strauss's model of a wholesaler who also manufactured branded goods foreshadowed the role of wholesale in modern fashion distribution.
After his death the company passed to members of his family, and descendants of the family remain owners of the business.
Why it matters
Levi Strauss is a prime example of how a practical product innovation, protected by a patent and backed by an effective distribution network, can create a global category. For fashion executives, the story of jeans shows the long-term value of a single iconic product and of a brand that can travel from workwear to fashion over more than 150 years.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented blue jeans?
Blue jeans resulted from a collaboration between Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis. In 1873 they received a US patent for using metal rivets to strengthen work trousers.
Who was Levi Strauss?
Levi Strauss was a Bavarian-born merchant who emigrated to the United States and founded a wholesale dry goods business in San Francisco. The company, Levi Strauss & Co., became famous for its denim jeans.
