Levi Strauss / "Levi's"

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The name of this person has entitled one of the brightest symbols of America - Levi's. In these jeans of a column of Americans of different generations have passed the whole epoch. Today in Levi's all world goes.

If you do not know history of occurrence of such product as jeans, we will open to you eyes on the truth: all has begun with Levi's.

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70th years of 19 centuries, the State of Nevada, the city of Rino - nevadskaja "god-forsaken hole". People work, that itself to support. The food is necessary to them to work. Boring and a vicious circle. So there were all local residents, including tailor Jacob Devisa, the immigrant from Riga. Its employment were reduced, basically, putting patches on thin clothes of local hard workers. Among its most frequent visitors there was one cowboy which name in history is not embodied. Devisu it was necessary to see it almost every week - that came with the torn off pockets, hinted the tailor at fragile seams, Jacob sewed pockets anew, but in a week all repeated. Once Devisu these regular visits, and critical remarks of the client to the address have bothered also - and it has fastened corners of pockets of cowboy's trousers copper rivets. All ingenious - is simple. To appointments to the cowboy the end has come, but to the tailor other cattlemen who would like «the same rivets» have tumbled down.

Devis was able not only to make hands. It still was sharp, therefore at once has understood, that brjuchnye rivets should be patented urgently while idea somebody else has not stolen sharper. However from a patent bureau where the tailor has addressed for inquiries, the unfavourable message has come: registration of necessary documents costed $68. The monetary partner would be just by the way because such fabulous sum at Devisa otrodjas was not found, no less than there were no at it well-founded friends … But there was one acquaintance - the haberdasher from San Francisco by name of Levi Strauss. Jacob bought from it fabrics under the low price, but this time he has written to the haberdasher the letter with the offer to strengthen copper rivets «places of the greatest tension» trousers and to issue the patent for two. This fatal for both offer has been sent Straussu in 1873.

Levi Strauss in San Francisco was reputed as the solid businessman and extremely the decent person. For honesty him respected, because for San Francisco of times of a gold fever such quality was the big rarity.

Strauss has arrived to California in 1853 together with one of the first parties of hunters behind gold, however, unlike adventurers of all colours, 24-year-old Levi relied not on a happy case, and on sober calculation. Its big brothers Lui hoped for business grasp Levi and Dzhonas also. They the first of Straussov migrated from Bavaria in the USA, having based in New York J. Strauss Brother and Co., which traded in wholesale blankets, pillows, underwear, fabrics and the other notions goods. Levi (then still Lejba - so have named the son at a birth the Bavarian small dealer Hirsh Strauss and his wife Rebekka Haas) has got over to brothers in 1847. Dzhonas and Lui did not give eighteen-year Lejbe any indulgences: having shouldered a huge bale with the goods, the guy went on neighbouring small towns and settlements, offering local residents of a thread, a comb, scissors and samples of fabrics. The young man has appeared the born direct-sales representative: In three years its clientele made a considerable part of steady customers of firm. The extended family business demanded new commodity markets, and Lejbu now sent in pedestrian "business trips" on the next states.

In 1851 New York was reached by a message about the gold found in California. On Pacific coast thousand gold diggers were pulled. Family council Straussov has estimated at once perspectivity of this new and absolutely empty commodity market. The decision to send to California the most enterprising of brothers was accepted. Lejba has accepted the American citizenship, has replaced a name on Levi and in March, 1853 has opened in San Francisco branch J. Strauss Brother and Co. The goods for sale were bought, as a rule, in New York, then loaded on the ship which delivered it to east coast of Mexico. Cargo crossed Mexico from the east on the West and got on other ship which delivered the goods to San Francisco. Trade in a manufactory has gone so successfully, that soon on help Levi to California brother Lui and sister Fanni with husband David Stern, and itself Levi in parallel with affairs J have got over. Strauss and Co. Has opened own business. In 12 years Levi Strauss and Co. Became the recognised leader of wholesale trade in a manufactory in San Francisco. In 1866 the company has moved to new headquarters on Betteri-strit where offices and warehouses have been equipped by last word of technics.

The strong cotton fabric - denim which produced at factory Amoskeag Mill in staff Nju-Hempshir was one of the most running goods delivered from the east of the USA. In due time this fabric has been invented in France, in a city by It - from here and its name.

Generally denim intended mainly for manufacturing of tents, but practical starateli began to sew from it working trousers which served much longer, rather than usual special clothes and consequently went in great demand. Therefore Levi Strauss did not fluctuate minutes, having received the letter from the tailor from Rino - he has there and then invited Jacob Devisa in San Francisco, and on May, 20th, 1873 two men have received the patent ¹ 139121 on brjuchnye rivets with period of validity of 25 years. This date also is considered birthday of the most well-known American brand - Levi's.

Clothes Levi's became subsequently cult. We can track it and under the literature of that time. Dialogue from well-known novel Filipa Rota «Illness of the Tailor":"Alex, remove, please, these special clothes and put on something decent. Today all the same a holiday». - «It not a special clothes, the daddy. It"levis".

This citation is remarkable also that are right both the father, and the son. To trousers with rivets which in 1873 began to make Levi Strauss and Co., the founder of firm has thought up the name waist overalls, that in a literal translation on the Russian the special clothes on a belt »mean«. So they also were called up to 1960, when "levisy" steels "jeans".

Under the insisting Levi Straussa Jacob Devis has moved to San Francisco to bear responsibility for manufacture of first "special clothes". It raskraival nju-hempshirsky denim also carried it on local seamstresses who in-home produced trousers with two lobbies and one back pocket. In the right forward pocket the pocket for hours was sewed, and buttons were sewn to a belt for braces. Then corners of all pockets and a fly became stronger copper rivets - and the ready product went on sale. Demand for trousers was so great what to satisfy with its efforts of several shveek it was simply impossible. Soon specially for manufacture waist overalls two factories on Fremont and the Market-strit have been opened.

At first factories on manufacture of working trousers were only minor division of business Levi Straussa which basis was made still by wholesale trade in a manufactory. But already to the middle of 70th years Levi Strauss and Co. Became to the full trading-product company: in 1874 together with two partners Levi Strauss has got at successors «the silver king» William Relstona who has died under obscure circumstances, factory Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills which made woollen fabrics. Practically all production of again got enterprise arrived on own garment factories of the company where warm winter things for miners and cowboys were produced.

Many businessmen were perplexed, why Strauss has issued the patent for pair with Devisom instead of simply stealing idea. But faultless business reputation Levi Straussa promoted its election in 1877 the treasurer of a chamber of commerce of San Francisco, and then and director Nevada Bank, insurance company Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance, and also San Francisco Gas and Electric Company.

Respected Straussa and as the citizen. Throughout all life he endowed considerable means for charity. Strauss has appointed 28 nominal grants for students of the Californian university, helped money to school for deaf persons, to the Jewish orphaned house, a shelter for old men, hospital for insane persons. Regular payments from Straussa arrived in a charitable society "Eureka".

It did not have children. There were nephews who have grown in its house - Jacob, Luis, Avraam and Zigmund Sterns - to it it and has entrusted the basic business. In 1890 Levi has officially brought up to date nephews, and itself together with several more visible businessmen from San Francisco was engaged in financing of building of the railway which would connect San Francisco to San Joaquin. However the project has appeared failure, and after this failure Levi Strauss as the businessman has calmed down.

In the autumn of 1902 73-year-old Strauss has suddenly fallen ill and has died on the night of September, 27th in the house on Livenvort-strit which throughout half a century it divided with a family of sister. Next day all newspapers of San Francisco have devoted the front pages to this sad news, and in day of funeral for the period of mourning ceremony all local enterprises were closed. The lion's share of status Levi Straussa which was estimated in $6 million, have inherited four its nephews. Other relatives and the charitable organisations have divided among themselves remained inheritance, following the will of the dead.

By then the main driving brand of the company of a steel «special clothes on a belt». Appearance waist overalls began to change gradually. In 1886 on them there is a well-known leather label with two loshadmi, unsuccessfully trying to break off "levisy"; in 1890 overalls have appropriated the article 501, and in two years 501st model had a second back pocket. Manufacture waist overalls promptly grew, but terrible earthquake of 1906 has destroyed both headquarters, and factories Levi Strauss and Co. Factories have built up anew on a new place - just by the moment when has expired patent term. To prolong it it was not possible, and since that moment trousers with rivets have started to let out and other firms. But inherently all other jeans - only imitation of the original which is called Levi's.

Before the well-known brand began to be called as jeans, there has passed the whole epoch which, by the way speaking, in social and cultural urological aspect Levi's and have generated. If at the beginning of the century waist overalls were perceived exclusively as working clothes by 30th years status Levi's has raised so, that it was necessary to make changes to clothes design. Clients of firm complained, that «trousers scratch chairs» owing to what rivets on back pockets became secret.

In military years of the power have urged Americans to save on strategic raw materials. Full disappearance of copper rivets from back pockets became result of obedience to the authorities. Then with Levi's Europe for the first time has met: the company has equipped with trousers and jackets of the American soldiers who were at war against German fascism. By 1948 demand on waist overalls has reached such level, that Levi Strauss and Co. Has concentrated exclusively on manufacture, having refused from trading business. In ten years, in 1959, Levi's for the first time have been officially presented in Moscow at exhibition American Fashion Industries Presentation. Then Levi's has started to export clothes to Europe, and, quite probably, in some years become ekstramodnymi trousers would appear and in the USSR, if not one circumstance: in 1963 Levi's has adjusted release of "grated" jeans which Soviet STATE THAT in any way did not correspond because of absence at them to "colourfastness". For this reason weigh the world went in "levisah", and the Soviet citizens in - "tehasah" firms "Rila Planinas".

Up to the beginning 70 Levi Srauss and Co. Remained the family enterprise. In 1971 for the purpose of financing of the further growth of company Levi Strauss and Co. aktsionirovalas. However, the controlling interest remained in hands of successors of the founder of the company which in 14 years have redeemed for $1,6 mlrd all actions at foreign holders, and in 1996 - and all actions which employees of firm owned. The company became again purely family business that has facilitated to present head Levi Strauss and Co. To a bean to Haas carrying out of the reforms, called to make it «more attractive to employees». Intention extremely good, however all well-known where exactly the road paved by similar intentions conducts. For Haas who has been carried away by formation of "utopian management» which he intends to reach a train of structural reorganisations, actually business was so removed on periphery, that avtoritetnejshy magazine Fortune has seriously started talking that the company «has ruined a great American brand».

The statistics resulted Fortune, speaks for itself: if in 1990 48,2 % of the jeans bought by the American men is more senior 16 years, were Levi's by 1996 this share has decreased practically twice - to 25 %. Recession of sales has occurred because of interest loss to Levi's young consumers. In 1990 "levisy" considered "abrupt" 21 % of teenagers, and in six years the quantity of young fans Levi's was reduced three times. Only after these changes Levi's have suddenly realised, that children do not carry the same jeans, that their parents. One of leading experts Levi's on marketing, Robert Hollouej, admitted to magazine Fortune: « Our error consisted that all of us offered the same brand. And it is not become necessary to anybody ». The most instructive in this history that Levi's tried to convince time and again that the youth 90 prefers to carry wide jeans, instead of classical models. But the company did not wish to believe any arguments. Having told about this history, Fortune asks a rhetorical question:« And there could be all it possible in the public joint-stock company? »Anyway, the destiny of" quintessence of an Americanism »up to 2011 when will expire term of the contract signed by holders of actions with present head Levi's, will depend on Haas's Bean. It should become either the coffin maker, or the saviour of the American legend.

One circumstance remains invariably joyful: jeans still are called not differently, as as a name of their founder - the person decent, fair and purposeful. Who knows, can, for this reason to it such dizzy success has come?.