Few things feel more all-American than a good pair of blue jeans—specifically Levi’s. And while you can’t mess with a classic, there’s always room for experimentation. Sometimes, as with the Levi’s x Sacai capsule, the outcome surpasses even the highest expectations.
Launching on May 28, the new assortment—which first debuted in Sacai’s spring/summer 2025 menswear runway show—features a handful of the most iconic silhouettes to come from the denim brand. You’ll find reconstructed jackets, wide-leg jeans with exaggerated cuffs, and more items that fully embody the unique design approach the Japanese label has become known. And who better to front the James Dean-inspired campaign than actress-of-the-moment Chase Sui Wonders?
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Gritty New York streets serve as the backdrop for the accompanying images, which feels right at place for a collection paying homage to the Rebel Without a Cause star—more specifically, the James Dean quote, “I think the prime reason for existence, for living in this world, is discovery.” In an email with ELLE.com, Sacai creative director Chitose Abe shares, “His rebellious spirit and mindset of challenging the norm resonated deeply with me—especially expressed through his iconic American casual look of a white T-shirt and denim jeans.” As for Wonders, channeling the actor felt natural to her. “The pieces fit so perfectly into that reference; I felt it as soon as I put the clothes on,” she tells ELLE.com over the phone. “To embody such a classically cool man ... it felt really cool to step into that character.” When asked about her favourite pieces from the collection, she highlights the double-breasted denim jacket and the men’s reversible bomber as her two favourites.
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Wonders isn’t just channeling the film industry’s biggest stars. She gets to work directly with them, too. She describes working comedy greats like Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, and Ike Barinholtz in The Studio—which airs its season finale later this week—as a master class in comedy and filmmaking. “[Each of them] has a storied career, and they were so generous and ready to take me under their wing and teach me,” she says. In terms of what viewers can expect in the next season, the actor doesn’t want to share any spoilers, but she did share that the storyline will continue to follow what she calls a “chosen family of wackos,” whose lives are centred around the filmmaking industry. “Even though it’s not an overly sentimental show, I think the character development of how we’re this traveling circus family and the intricate dynamics that keep us all together in this kind of sinking ship is where we will go for season 2,” she adds.
Next on tap is I Know What You Did Last Summer—the sequel to the 1997 horror flick of the same name—where she had the chance to learn from original cast members Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., both reprising their roles in the 2025 remake. “It’s not your average sequel, and the fact that they come back—and the way they come back—is such a testament to the project,” she says. “Watching them act together was one of the more surreal moments of my career.”
The Levi’s x Sacai collection will be available to shop online at levi.com.sg and in Levi’s stores beginning May 28.
This article was first seen on ELLE US.