There’s a new, temporary space in the Mission giving the creative and fashion-minded a place to make their mark. Now open on Valencia St., the first Levi’s Workshop is one-part old-fashioned print shop, one-part community hub and one-part retail shop showcasing a limited selection of the brand’s Work Wear and Boyfriend collections.
Set in an expansive, white-walled space outfitted with various printing presses, activity tables, a lounge area and a small pop-up display of Levi’s apparel, the workshop is the first in a series of outposts organized around certain crafts. The next will open this fall in New York and focus on photography.
While those with designs on serious shopping from the brand would still do better to head to the Union Square location, the two-month Mission location is worth a visit for anyone interested in art of printmaking and trying it out for free. The time to go for do-it-yourselfers and artists is indisputably on Sundays, when the public is invited to stop by and create using the space’s two Vandercook proof presses, tabletop paten presses, photocopier and screenprinting station. If you’ve got a special project in mind, call ahead for information on what materials the workshop supplies and what you’ll need to bring. For example, the workshop will supply the ink for silkscreen projects, but you’ll have to bring your own t-shirts and printing materials.
Other reasons to go? Planned throughout July and August, special events bring local celebrities to the space, as well as exhibitions and workshops with artists and community groups. Highlights include an evening with Craig Newmark on July 14, a silkscreen workshop with Aaron Rose on Aug. 5 and a printing performance by skateboarding pioneer Tommy Guerrero on Aug. 14. See a complete line-up of upcoming events on the calendar.
And last but not least, all proceeds from the venue’s retail shop stocking basics from jean jackets to plaid work shirts and boyfriend skinny jeans benefit local non-profits such as Southern Exposure and The Women’s Building.
Levi’s Workshop, 580 Valencia St., SF, www.workshops.levi.com.
