Andy Warhol died in 1987 and never lived to see his snide asides prophesying future popular interests come true. Perhaps his obsession with stars was the seed of the pop sensibility that we now sow as celebrity culture nearly a generation after Warhol serially screen-printed famous faces. What's more, it could be argued that the cultural trends behind Andy's infamous "everybody will be world-famous for 15-minutes" remark lead to our rabid reality-TV fixation.
Documenting the fabulous people, places and happenings throughout his life in various media and admitting that he was "the type who'd like to sit home and watch every party [he was] invited to on a monitor in [his] bedroom," Warhol's films, photos and diaries were a precursor to the post-millennium uber-voyeurism of which we all are—or wanna be—a part.
And what better way to show all your Myspace friends/Blogspot fans how hip, hot and chic you are than with a cellphone shot of your limited-edition Warhol Factory X Levi's? If you can't track down a live celeb (A-, B- or Reality list) to mug for your I-met-this-famous-person-once pic, Andy's dark-dyed Japanese denim, replete with Warhol buttons, rivets and silver-screen print on the reverse, will have profile perusers wondering which cast you cavorted with on The Real World.
The Factory X line is as much an homage to Warhol's work as it is a throwback to pre-brand boisterousness, when new, crisp Levi's with a tall cuff and wide leather belt weren't yet "retro." With boxy, '80s-revivalist designs for Bauhaus boys and jean miniskirts with rough-edged tees to suit the Bobo Betties, Factory X has a decidedly Depeche Mode tone.
Levi's enthusiasts who won't go goth, even for Warhol, can choose from an array of screen-printed sundries, including pop mash-ups such as Marilyn's lips overlaid with tipped crosses, his skull-and-crossbones tee or the cotton sports coat with a button of Andy's anarchy "A/W" in knives. The image of silver crosses canvassing the sky blue of a close-cut jacket makes the jaw-dropping price tags worth consideration. Ranging from $100 to $300 for each limited-edition and numbered piece seems a bit steep, but when will you get the chance again to fend off party paparazzi and skip the line at Studio 54 with Andy?
Warhol Factory X Levi's, available at The Levi's Store inside the Fashion Show Mall; 361-4622.
Article Courtesy: Jennifer Henry
Jennifer Henry's got the goods on what to get & where.
