Leo Gamboa on the Art of the Fashion Collaboration
The sneaker and fashion veteran talks about working on Levi’s latest collab with sacai.
In fashion, collaborations can often feel nonsensical: a mishmash of two brands with alien perspectives that fail to coalesce into anything meaningful. Leo Gamboa, who heads up collaborations at Levi’s, would know. As a veteran of the sneaker world, with long stints at Reebok and Packer, he knows that striking that delicate balance is tantamount to energizing both sides of a creative partnership. Small wonder he’s successfully pulled off projects with everyone from Studio Ghibli to UNDERCOVER to Kiko Kostadinov.
Now he’s spearheading the latest Levi’s collaboration with Japanese avant-garde label sacai, whose deconstructionist approach to luxury makes it a fascinating pairing with the American denim giant. A semi-recent Bay Area transplant, Gamboa talked to me recently about his creative process, the importance of in-person connection, and the stories behind some of the denim brand’s most compelling recent partnerships.
A lot of people might know you from your time at Reebok. Did you have any mixed feelings about leaving the sneaker world? What drew you to working with Levi’s?I’m curious how your personal taste comes into play with collaborations. Is that something that steers you, or do you try to disconnect from it and be more objective?
When you think of denim, you think of Levi’s, right? It’s the best denim brand in the world, and joining such an iconic name with so much history and heritage seemed really interesting. The potential felt endless. Sneakers have been a big part of my life, but working in denim and apparel brought a fresh kind of excitement. I was drawn to the learning curve, being able to put my hands on something completely different. That said, I still get a taste of footwear now and then through projects like our Crocs collaboration. It’s a nice way to stay connected to that world. From a collaboration standpoint, the market is definitely crowded. So coming into Levi’s, the idea wasn’t just about doing more, it was about doing it right. There’s a need to be thoughtful and intentional, choosing partnerships that truly energize the brand. From a distance, Levi’s was already fascinating, and I could see the potential of what could be built here. Also, coming from a footwear background and moving into apparel gave me the chance to learn denim inside and out, which was both a challenge and a creative thrill.My personal taste definitely plays a big role in the process; it’s part of my creative lens. But at the same time, I’m always thinking about the wider audience and what each collaboration needs to feel authentic. It’s really about finding the right balance between personal instincts and what makes sense for the brand, the partner, and the consumer. That balance is everything—it’s how you make a collab actually work.
Your process must be fine-tuned at this point. What’s the secret to finding a creative red thread between Levi’s and the partner?What makes a collaboration successful? What are some of the highlights from your time at Levi’s so far?
I really immerse myself in every partnership, whether that’s visiting a collaborator’s archive or getting inside their design perspective. One of the first things I ask is: “Why Levi’s? What does this brand mean to you?” That conversation opens everything up. Face-to-face interaction is essential. You’ve got to be out there, talking to people, building real connections. Some of the best opportunities come from real-life moments. You could be at a restaurant, an event, a bar, or even on a mountain, and a simple conversation turns into a collaboration. For example, with Bodega, we basically kicked off the partnership on a snowboard trip. Our “meeting” was just us riding together. It’s no different than executives signing deals on the golf course.The Princess Mononoke collaboration with Studio Ghibli in 2023 was a standout. The reception was quite strong; it sold out immediately. Another favorite was working with Kiko Kostadinov. Seeing how he reinterpreted Levi’s through his patternmaking, it brought this beautifully complex simplicity. It was still recognizably Levi’s, but elevated and reimagined in a way that felt fresh and unexpected. And then there’s the upcoming sacai collection. When sacai takes our icons like the trucker jacket or a bomber, and reconstructs them through the sacai lens, it’s transformative. One highlight is the reversible bomber that fuses classic silhouettes with [designer Chitose Abe’s] deconstructed elegance. At the end of the day, it’s about figuring out how to take something great and make it even better, right? That’s where partners shine, by adding layers of complexity while keeping the clean, iconic essence of Levi’s intact.
Levi’s has been around forever, one of the oldest American clothing brands still operating today. How do you balance that history with a sense of newness?I’ve heard so much about Levi’s product archive and even the brand’s in-house historians. How do you utilize that archive for the brand’s collaborations?
It always starts with the partner. Every one of them brings a new point of view, and that’s essential. We’re always looking for collaborators who can shift perception, take an iconic silhouette, and bring something fresh. We’ve got a few upcoming partners with that kind of blue-sky approach.We often reference archival pieces when developing new collections. Depending on the story we’re telling or the collaborator we’re working with, looking back at past work can be incredibly valuable and help inform how we approach a project. Wash references and storytelling elements from earlier pieces frequently serve as inspiration, they help ground the product in a sense of history while allowing us to push things forward in a meaningful way.
How did the sacai collaboration come together specifically?Do you do a lot of thrifting?To put it in sneaker terms, what’s in your current rotation?Where do you feel we are with denim trends right now? Beyoncé is wearing Canadian tuxedos, Kendrick Lamar is wearing flared bootcuts. What’s the meta?
Their approach—clean, classic, yet innovative—was such a natural fit with Levi’s. Some key pieces from the collection include a reversible bomber, a deconstructed Type 2 trucker jacket, and what we’re calling the “Y” jean. There’s also an incredible women’s assortment: a blazer, a skirt, and a dress. It’s a full collection that blends both brands in a really special way.Absolutely. Thrifting in California is next level. Whether it’s Alameda, Rose Bowl, or Oakland flea markets, you can find incredible denim for $10. I found one of my favorite pairs for $15. That’s part of the beauty of denim. It doesn’t matter if it costs $10 or $1,000, if it fits you perfectly, that’s what counts. Fit is everything. I thrift at least once a week, chasing that perfect pair. The thrill of the hunt is part of the process.Mostly vintage, made-in-USA 501s. I’ve also been wearing a lot of black jeans with black sneakers lately, that’s been my go-to.Honestly, I think all jeans are cool. That’s the most democratic answer I can give, but it’s true. It all comes down to the individual mood, personal style, or shoes you’re wearing that day. Some days I’ll wear a 501, other days a wide-leg or baggy fit. It’s about how you feel. I’ve always believed in individual style over chasing trends. That said, I do think the ultra-baggy fits are slowing a bit. The 501s are definitely having a moment again, and flares are trending too. But 501s, those are timeless. They never go out of style.
Speaking of 501s, I loved the Satisfy collaboration from a few months back. The Dyneema 501s were so cool.
Brice [Partouche] and Daniel [Groh] from Satisfy are longtime friends, and we’ve been talking since the brand started gaining momentum. Brice is a huge denim-head and he came to us with this idea rooted in the spirit of the Stonemasters, the climbers and hippies who wore Levi’s back in the day. Each jean in the collection was made from one-of-one, made-in-USA vintage Levi’s. No two pairs were the same. That kind of authenticity added equity to the project, and of course, denim only gets better with age. This project was about performance, purpose, and storytelling. We went through multiple sample rounds just to get it right. I was actually in Joshua Tree recently and thought, “I should’ve worn the jeans and climbed in them.”
