Levi’s® and Denim Tears Pay Tribute to African American Biker Culture
by Eduardo G.
After World War II, the biker culture exploded in the United States. In 1959, not too far from Levi’s® headquarters in Oakland, California, the East Bay Dragons, one of the first Black motorcycle clubs in the U.S., roared to life. In the world of African American bikers, there’s an undeniable sense of being outsiders, a touch of danger, pride, respect, a commitment to freedom, and a refusal to conform to polite doctrine. A biker’s look is like sacred relics, weathered and mystique-filled, evolving into something that feels alive. Secret codes, symbols, and colors, beautifully battered by heat, scratches, tears, and spilled fuel, give off a vibe of living skin or armor.
For their third-season collaboration, Levi’s® and Denim Tears pay homage to the enduring spirit of the African American biker community. They’ve captured the authenticity, freedom, and non-conformity that define the biker’s code.
Tremaine Emory, the founder of Denim Tears, expresses his fascination with Black biker culture, saying, “What appears to be a simple and functional outfit at first glance carries aesthetic influences from Native Americans, cowboys, rodeos, workwear, military surplus, outlaws, and vagabonds. We blend all these elements with the legacy of flash shows and Afro opulence to honor the powerful mental state of the Black biker. I know those with the attitude, character, and front will wear these pieces forever.”
The campaign features real members of the Black biker community, captured in the places where they live their lives. Denim Tears’ third-season collection is available at Denimtears.com and select wholesale stores, Levi.com, the Levi’s® app, and select Levi’s® stores.
Check out the campaign images bellow:
Gucci Expands Its Presence in the UK with a New London Boutique
Palomo Spain SS24: The Polaroids
Carhartt WIP’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection keeps the brand’s rugged workwear spirit while mixing in fresh elements.
Billionaire Boys Club’s second drop for Fall/Winter 2025 is a celebration of Jamaican sound system culture.
“MiMa is first and foremost a space for discovery and inspiration. That was a core idea from the very beginning, both in the way we curated the selection and in how we designed the space itself.”
FANG NYC’s FW25 collection pulls from creative director Fang Guo’s travels, from Georgia’s concrete Kartlis Deda monument to Crete’s pink sand beaches, to play with contrasts.
Reebok and multitalented artist Tobe Nwigwe are back with the second chapter of their collaborative “Reebok x Chukwu” partnership.
Rihanna’s FENTY x PUMA collaboration returns with a fresh take on football-inspired fashion.
To celebrate the release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on PlayStation 5, Ninja Theory has teamed up with London’s Passarella Death Squad for a limited capsule collection.
ERL marks its fifth anniversary with a new version of its signature skate shoe, the Electric Blue Vamp.
Skepta and PUMA are back with a tight, all-black collection that strips streetwear down to its essentials.
Wood Wood enters a new chapter with its FW25 Double A campaign, the first collection under creative director Brian SS Jensen and head of design Gitte Wetter.
Leandro da Silva photographed by Emil Huseynzade and styled by Vladimir Frol de Moura, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
PUMA is re-releasing its special 2003 H-Street sneakers in two Jamaica-inspired colorways, just in time for Notting Hill Carnival.
Delvinas and Antón lensed by Willy Villacorta and styled by María Hernandez, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Viegas is someone who grew up immersed in music and community, with a desire to create spaces where people feel seen and free.
Johnatan Aba and Yoni Goor captured by the lens of Italo Gaspar and styled by Marchesini Matilde & Stefani Sofia, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Stüssy keeps growing, and its newest store in Biarritz, France, is proof.
DJOOKE opens up about his journey from Portuguese small towns to Lisbon’s DJ scene, the birth of iconic LGBTQ+ party BALAGAN, and his vision for inclusive nightlife.
Nicolas Benitez at New Icon photographed by Diego Bigolin and styled by Daniel Zazueta, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Massimo Osti Studio’s latest collection, Continuative Garments, stays true to the brand’s philosophy: clothes should work effortlessly in everyday life.
For Fall/Winter 2025, Billionaire Boys Club turns its focus to Jamaican sound system culture, drawing from the raw energy of dancehall, reggae, and lovers rock.
Salomon has teamed up with JJJJound to reimagine the XT-6 in two very different ways.
The fragrance captures the fleeting bloom of the osmanthus flower, a winter surprise in Kyoto.
Borsalino’s Fall/Winter 2025 campaign, captured by Pablo di Prima and shaped by Agata Belcen’s art direction, turns hats into something more than accessories. They become extensions of the people wearing them, subtle yet full of presence.
The brand’s… »
A reimagined version of their classic Plantaris, this ultra-limited release swaps the usual for titanium, turning a familiar shape into something that feels like it’s from 2075.
With a remarkable voice that challenges the status quo, Marval Rex is redefining cultural + transgender identities through the lens of comedy, performance, and thoughtful discourse.
SAVVA at Angels Project photographed and styled by Alberto Saguar, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Rombaut’s new drop, Ground I, is the latest step in their barefoot series, a shoe that keeps getting simpler, quieter, more like a sculpture than just footwear.
Rick Owens’s first major retrospective in Paris, Temple of Love, transforms the Palais Galliera into a ritualistic sanctuary.
Alex Brendon photographed by Virginia Navarro and styled by Tomás Jaramillo, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
At Selfridges’ Summer of Sound: Music Talks, Allie X and Charles Jeffrey sat down to discuss how music and fashion shape an artist’s visual identity.
