Dive Brief:

• Capitalizing on the resurgence of ’90s fashion, Kohl’s and Levi’s have re-introduced the 1990s Levi’s SilverTab collection on their respective websites and in 600 Kohl’s stores until January 2023, the retailer announced Thursday.
• Inspired by ’90s fashion for men, women and children, the capsule collection features loose and mom-style jeans, overall pants, shorts, denim jackets, graphic tees, hoodies, flannel shirts, bucket hats and leather belts, per the announcement.
• Kohl’s will showcase the collection with ’90s-inspired imagery and mannequin displays alongside Sephora at Kohl’s, according to the press release.

Dive Insight:

Kohl’s has teamed up with Levi’s as Gen Z returns to ’90s fashion and heads back to school. The retailer said in its announcement that the release of the collection is part of its effort to offer a clothing selection that aligns with today’s trends.

“Over the years, Kohl’s and Levi’s have built an incredible partnership that has brought the brand’s most popular styles and collections to millions of Kohl’s customers across the country. The relaunch of the iconic SilverTab collection is an exciting next chapter in our history together, bringing back the denim styles and fits that were worn and loved by a generation, now again more popular than ever,” Ron Murray, Kohl’s interim chief merchandising officer, said in a statement. “The addition of Levi’s SilverTab is another example of how we are modernizing our portfolio with premium and style-led offerings as part of our strategy to become the retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle.”

In addition to strengthening its relationship with Levi’s, Kohl’s has added other brands to its product lineup over the past two years. The retailer began adding Sephora shop-in-shop locations and introduced Land’s End in stores in 2020. Last year, the brand added activewear from Tommy Hilfiger and Eddie Bauer. In February, Draper James RSVP, a brand founded by actress Reese Witherspoon, launched its capsule collection within 500 Kohl’s locations. 

As it continues to rack up brands for its stores, the retailer has been rethinking its brick-and-mortar presence, too. Part of the company’s ongoing strategy is to open more Sephora stores next year and open 100 smaller Kohl’s locations in smaller markets over the next four years.

Besides its collaboration with Kohl’s, Levi’s has also recently partnered with another major retailer: Target. In March, the iconic jeans brand announced plans to offer more red tab jeans and other clothing items in 300 additional Target locations. As part of the expansion, the brand will provide more than 180 total styles across the men’s and women’s categories, some of which will come in extended sizes.

The collection also comes after a tumultuous year for Kohl’s. The department store had been fending off activist investor attacks, which included calls for asset sales, a spinoff of the company’s e-commerce business and a sale of the company. Kohl’s engaged in late talks with Franchise Group — the owner of The Vitamin Shoppe and American Freight — to pursue a sale of its business. However, those talks ultimately ended in no sale. S&P Global Ratings late last month gave Kohl’s a negative outlook as a result of its acquisition talks ending and lower sales projections.