Barbie Ferreira Reveals Her 'Nightmarish' New Levi's Collaboration

Back in January, Barbie Ferreira teamed up with Levi’s to reimagine the brand’s signature 501 jeans with more saturated blues and greens, grungy patchwork and a vibe the actor describes as “more cyber, more glitchy.” That was just the beginning of their relationship: Ferreira and Levi’s are now back with a broader eight-piece wardrobe that spans outerwear, corsets, skirts and more, dropping on Nov. 17. 

The vision for Ferreira’s sophomore collection for the denim giant is much darker, which is reflected in the campaign, shot by Petra Collins. “I really wanted it to be on film and more nostalgic and dreamy — kind of almost nightmarish, too, playing into that surreal state,” she tells Fashionista. It’s a reflection of her style now and the evolution of her personal relationship with Levi’s: “I used to do light-wash, high-waisted 501s. Now, I tend to go for darker colors.”

Collins was a natural choice to capture this vibe, as Ferreira has known the photographer for many years. 

“I’ve been working with Petra since I was 16 years old,” she says. “This was like an ode to the 10-year journey we’ve had together as artists. (The shoot) feels very David Lynch, kind of moody and like a weird, surreal world, but still grounded. I wanted it to be like stills from a movie.”

Ferreira has long talked about how she draws inspiration from film: In a 2019 interview with Fashionista, she spoke about how “late ’90s, early ’00s, campy, teenage dramedies” informed her style. You can pick up on some of these cues in the collection, which includes a pair of flared jeans with laces at the hips and a lace-up corset, reminiscent of the early days of performance costuming.

There’s also an oversized denim coat with green accents and a mustard-colored pleated mini skirt that Ferreira describes as “a more autumnal, kind of rainy, kind of ‘Twilight’ vibe.” 

“My guy friends absolutely love the coat because it fits kind of slouchy and cool,” she adds. “A lot of people can wear it. Then, if you want to go a little crazier, you can have the skirt, which I love — I wanted the skirt to be longer… There are always these tiny mini skirts that people are into or the tiniest little lowest-rise thing in the world, and while that’s cool and great and sickening for most people, I’m not that kind of girl — I can’t pull that off. I was like, ‘I want a skirt that goes to my knee. Why can’t it be a sexy skirt that’s longer?'”

Levi’s x Barbie Ferreira ranges in price from $55 to $295; pieces come in sizes XS through 3XL. “Jeans (are) actually one of the items of clothing that I’ve struggled most with,” Ferreira admits. “Thankfully, Levi’s has a large selection of sizes, but it’s not always like that — making sure the fit of (the jeans) would be good for as many people as possible was really important to me.”

Ferreira’s close friends aren’t just admirers and wearers of the new designs — they’re also collaborators: The 26-year-old’s best friend, artist Ben Evans, created a bunny doodle drawing (also seen in the first collection) as the logo for the collaboration.

“That’s my bestie,” she says. “He randomly drew that little demon bunny once, and I got it tattooed at my house. I knew I wanted a cartoon logo — I think it’s cooler to have a calling card image than just seeing my name on something.”

When it comes to what the actor hopes people feel wearing the new designs, she says: “I want people to feel moody, cool and comfortable. I don’t think it’s fussy or weird — it’s just simple. You can layer it all or just wear one piece at a time.”

Levi’s x Barbie Ferreira will be available to shop in Levi’s stores and at Levi.com Nov. 17. See the full collection in the gallery below.

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