Twenty years on from tearing up their own rule book on denim with the Engineered Jeans collection, Levi’s are honouring the same progressive ethos of ease and flexibility that originally helped conceive the line by launching a new collaboration with streetwear retailers, The Basement.

The twisted seams that represented such a radical departure from anything that had come before in 1999 – granting the wearer a level of comfort and freedom that denim previously denied them – are here re-worked with the same socially conscious premise as before, namely, accommodating the fast-flowing lives of the youth.

Enter Gramm and Carefree, the two creative collectives hailing from North and South respectively, who are leading the charge towards a contemporary iteration of Levi’s Engineered Jeans. Coming out of Manchester, Gramm are a cross-disciplinary group spanning fashion, music and photography while London-based Carefree, founded by Damian Malontie began as a blog but has now developed into a t-shirt label. Shot separately wearing the collection, both groups demonstrate the universality of a product that remains as globally ubiquitous now as it was in the nineties.

Each tasked with creating their own lookbook for the new collection, Gramm shot theirs in the heart of Manchester using the city’s disused mills as a backdrop, while Carefree recruited photographer Vicky Grout to develop a lookbook inspired by Malontie’s penchant for archival magazines referencing.

Gallery: Gramm’s lookbook imagery

With a new 3-D knit technology and four-way stretch fabrication, the new line is evidence of Levi’s continual commitment to updating their world renowned design. New fits for men include the 502 Regular Taper and 512 Slim Taper, while the Loose Jean, Slouchy Taper and Reissue Trucker Jacket make up the new additions for women.

Gallery: Carefree lookbook imagery

Levi’s Engineered Jeans are available to purchase now, online and in stores.