etail experiences across the region. Inside Retail: What are your top three strategic priorities for 2025? Nuholt Huisamen: This year, I’m looking to continue our bricks-and-mortar expansion in the region, especially within the East Apac region. As part of our direct-to-consumer focus, we’ve been bolstering our retail presence in the region over the past few years – opening new stores and upgrading and expanding existing ones to deliver an exceptional retail experience to our customers here. In the coming year, I’m excited about keeping this momentum going with new store openings and revamps in the works at some of the most exciting shopping locations around the region. I’m also focusing on our pivot towards becoming a head-to-toe denim lifestyle apparel brand. While we are well-known for being a men’s denim bottoms business, as we focus on winning with women consumers, we can extend that authority into categories such as women’s apparel and tops. We’re already gaining traction in Asia in these categories and will be doubling down on this trajectory in the new year. Finally, I’m excited about our premiumisation focus in Asia. Our greatest asset is the strength of the Levi’s brand, and our undisputed denim leadership. In 2025, we’ll bring this mastery to life with the launch of our Blue Tab collection – what’s set to be our most premium denim line to date, and a blend of Levi’s trademark timelessness with intricate Japanese artisanship. We know that there’s a strong community of denim enthusiasts and collectors in the region, and our goal is to bring them truly elevated denim that they can fully appreciate and make their own for years to come. IR: What were the biggest highlights of 2024 for the group? NH: The launch of our collaboration with Beyoncé in September was a key moment for us. In the campaign – fittingly called REIIMAGINE – we re-enact classic Levi’s looks and films, with Beyoncé as the main protagonist. This partnership was a natural progression after Beyoncé released her beloved song, “Levii’s Jeans”, on her genre-redefining album “Cowboy Carter” earlier in 2024. To me, this collaboration signifies the pairing of two icons. Beyoncé continues to change the face of music and entertainment, as she has done over her decades-long career. And for us at Levi Strauss & Co; we stay true to our innovative spirit, which has been present throughout our over 170-year history. This campaign also signifies how the Levi’s brand remains at the center of culture. On a global level, we have Beyoncé, who is an icon the world over. But in Asia, we collaborate with brands, events and cultural events that resonate with local audiences. In 2024, I witnessed many incredible partnerships – from our presence at Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, to the collaborations we’ve had with brands and stores like Clot and Beams. These speak to our ability to understand and align with the influences affecting our regional consumers. IR: What projects are you looking forward to working on in 2025? NH: I’m thrilled that we’re launching our Blue Tab line this year – a collection of our most premium denim offerings that are the embodiment of Levi’s storied timelessness and quality, fused with Japanese artisanship, mastery, and attention to detail. We’re launching the line in Asia in February, and our region will be the first in the world to access it. Premium denim is a natural next step, borne from our years of product innovation and denim mastery – and I’m excited to finally bring this to our fans’ doorsteps in 2025. We are also looking to elevate and open a number of stores – new and existing – across the different markets. IR: How do you see the retail landscape in Asia evolving in 2025? NH: Today’s consumers are more discerning – they are drawn to brands not just because of the products they offer but also because of the values they demonstrate. To meet the demands of this new generation of consumers, brands need to connect deeply with them, listen to their needs, and adapt to meet these. This guiding principle has been key to our company’s longevity. For 170 years, Levi Strauss & Co has weathered the shifts of multiple generations of consumers. The ability to listen to and understand the needs of the consumer on the ground, and adapt and innovate with our products to meet those needs, has been in our DNA from the beginning. From the mining industry during our founding, to international denim fans today, our consumers are at the heart of everything we do. In Asia, we continue to innovate to bring fans what they want and need. The prime examples of this approach are our Performance Cool line and Blue Tab Collection. The former was specifically created to bring our fans lighter weight, more breathable denim that makes for a more comfortable wearing experience in tropical climates. The Blue Tab Collection, on the other hand, recognises market demand for more premium denim offerings. IR: Are there any specific markets or segments in Asia that you see as critical growth opportunities? NH: Across the business, we’ve been focused on accelerating our international growth – including in Asia, where we’re excited about the emergence and growth of fashion hubs across the region. Particularly in the North Asian markets, we are seeing tremendous success with our premiumisation strategy, and the launch of our latest Blue Tab line will also be a driving force for further growth. Over in Southeast Asia, we see Gen Z culture as a key driver of fashion trends, presenting a unique opportunity to deepen our market presence and stay at the centre of culture. There is a strong mall culture in Southeast Asia, and consumers resonate with immersive bricks-and- mortar experiences. In line with this, we continue to prioritise the opening and upgrading of our mall stores, such as our CentralWorld and KLCC stores in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, respectively. The latter is the largest Levi’s store in Southeast Asia. Through these storefronts, we hope to bring an elevated consumer experience to our fans, presenting them the best and fullest expression of our brand. IR: What excites you most about the retail sector in Asia for 2025? NH: Asia remains ripe for growth – and what I’ve noticed is that consumers in the region are becoming savvier and more discerning about the brands with which they align themselves. The good news is that this means brands have the opportunity to go beyond just being sellers of products, to become cultural influences of their own, with their own sets of principles. This is something we’ve already been doing at LS&Co.; throughout our 170-year history, we’ve been bold about our values, and we remain rooted in our goal of providing well-made, timeless classics for our consumers – for generations past, present and future. What’s also exciting about Asia’s retail landscape is the freedom brands have to innovate and evolve constantly. As Levi’s doubles down on our pivot towards becoming a head-to-toe denim lifestyle apparel brand, we’ll challenge the notion of our brand being a primarily men’s denim-bottoms business. By bringing our apparel leadership to other categories, like women’s and tops, we have the chance to bring a diverse range of truly well-made, fashion-forward offerings to consumers in the region. This story first appeared in the Asian Retail Outlook 2025 report.