Name: Levi’s First Female CEO On Her Bold Plan to Reinvent a Denim Icon
Uploaded: 2025-10-25T18:00:13.000Z
Duration: 14 min 53 s
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Buying jeans can be a little intimidating.

To your point, do I go high, low, wide, skinny?

I do know that with youth I go low and then with age I go high.

Here in Japan, I'm meeting Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass to talk bold moves, big reinventions, to find out how she's shaking up a 170-year-old denim brand.

Did you know the first pair of 501s was created more than 150 years ago?

In 1873, Levi Strauss and Taylor Jacob Davis patented the copper riveted denim pants which made it more durable.

Over the decades, Levi's has become a recognizable brand worldwide, worn by everyone from miners and cowboys to musicians and cultural influences.

Today, the San Francisco based company remains one of the top names in denim globally.

So, Michelle, you're usually based in San Francisco.

What brings you the sea of Levi's to Tokyo?

You know, this is the global hub of denim culture and we get so much inspiration from what is happening in this market.

What you see in the streets, we go to vintage shops and it's a big inspiration for what is now our blue tab line.

What's so special about this premium line?

And Japanese denim is simply the best there is.

We have sold Japanese denim for quite some time and our consumers seek it out and that was the inspiration to create this blue tab line.

What's so special about the Japanese way of making denim?

Oh, it's the craftsmanship, the artistry, the attention to detail.

You see it, you see it and feel it in the product.

I mean, it really is the best that's out there.

To see what makes this premium denim lined blue tab so special, I head to the very place where these jeans are crafted and I get a behind the scenes look at the artistry behind every distress finish stitch.

Because of all the extra finishing touches you put putting on a pair of jeans and wash.

So these are special washing machines to wash the jeans.

You're the first woman CEO in Levi Strauss's 170 year old history.

What is your vision, your ambition for the world's most famous denim brand?

My vision is basically take us from being the world's most famous and beloved pair of jeans to being the definitive denim lifestyle brand.

And I'm confident we're going to get there.

You've also set yourself a financial target, a Goal.

You want to take the brand from a $6 billion business to a $10 billion company.

Where will most of that growth come from?

Well, first, it does start with becoming this head to toe denim lifestyle brand.

It's, it means first, tops and outerwear and jackets and anything that you sort of can make with denim, because we should be, no question, the leader there.

But then the complements to denim and what we're seeing is as we've been going after these opportunities, the consumer is responding and along with that is really growing the women's business.

Levi's customer base has historically been male dominated, but

over the past decade, the brand has been steadily expanding its women's business.

Today, women account for just under 40% of Levi's sales.

The company's goal is to lift that share to 50%.

So what big moves are you making to get women to spend more at your stores?

Well, first, it does start with the product.

We have got to be leading and driving the trends and over the last five years, we've already done a great job on that.

So there's a lot of opportunities beyond jeans.

Things like denim skirts, denim dresses, denim jumpsuits, you name it.

I will tell you, over time we have been inconsistent and we had to do a major reset about a year and a half ago.

We brought in new talent, we changed our go to market, we brought in new vendors, and

we're now seeing the momentum on that tops business.

So you've got four seasons now instead of two.

What does it mean logistically behind the scenes?

We like to talk about the company as a complete rewire because we have, if you take this go to market, or what we call C2C concept to consumer, we've had to basically take a piece of white paper and, and

completely rethink it from the lead times, the expectations of our vendors, how design works with product development, works with supply chain, all in terms of thinking about that fan at the center and how do we serve them today with what they want.

But importantly, how do we peek around the corner and really set the expectation for what's to come.

every person in the company has been impacted by this, but

I'm happy to say we're making great progress.

For Levi's, the Americas remain its largest market, contributing nearly half of its global revenue, followed by Europe.

Asia currently accounts for about 20%, but

it's a region the company expects to grow much faster in the years ahead.

Which market are you most excited about here in Asia?

Well, one market I would say that just has so much upside from where we sit today is India.

Number one there we've already made a lot of inroads as being known for more of a denim lifestyle.

Head to toe, the team has done a great job.

But when I think about the opportunity, the population, how youthful it is, there's a ton of upside in India.

So that, that probably in terms of sheer growth will be one of our fastest growing, biggest growth markets as we point to 10 billion.

But I would say across Asia there's a lot of opportunity.

I mean, Japan has been one of our fastest growing markets the last couple of years and we're expecting that to continue with all the great product that's coming out.

And even China, which you know, I would say to date we have not been a great success there, but

Well, we're doing a reset is what I would say.

We, for a variety of reasons, a lot of which I'd say we own, we just have not executed to our potential.

So what's holding you back from doing more in China right now?

I don't think anything, you know, I think we just first we have to get the right leadership team and we've, you know, we've brought in some great new leaders and we have more coming that have deep retail capability, better real estate.

And I think in China we have been trying to figure out what that right balance is between core Levi's, what's consistent around the globe versus what is nuanced and unique for China.

I have confidence we're going to get there because that's a really market for us long term.

When you look at Asia, do you have a target?

How much do you want Asia to contribute to your ambitious $10 billion revenue goal?

I will say that it will be significant, but

we expect outsized growth from Asia relative to our more mature markets.

Still expect growth in the us still expect some growth in Europe, but

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Levi’s First Female CEO On Her Bold Plan to Reinvent a Denim Icon

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