I've been hoping for a Beyoncé x Levi's collaboration ever since Cowboy Carter dropped in March. Frankly, it's hard to imagine a pop star of her stature writing a song called "LEVII’S JEANS" for the album without giving some thought to a future collaboration.
Now, it seems the heritage denim brand is finally giving the people what they want. Beyoncé is set to star in a series of video and photo campaigns that will reimagine some of the brand's most iconic advertisements from the twentieth century. The first chapter of the global campaign just dropped online with more to follow soon and sadly, the imagery does not appear to tease any limited-edition, Bey-designed pieces. But it does offer up plenty of saucy denim-on-denim outfit inspiration featuring classic Levi's styles—plus a denim paisley manicure to go with it.
“My song ‘LEVII’S JEANS’ celebrates what I believe is the ultimate Americana uniform—something we all wear with pride,” Beyoncé said in a press release.
There's a lot to love about the look Beyoncé put together for the campaign with a likely assist from her longtime stylist, Shiona Turini. Her cropped T-shirt is exactly the right length for accenting her oversized Levi's belt buckle. And the hem of her flared jeans fall exactly where they should against the heel of her denim boots. But the detail I'm most obsessed with happens to be the smallest and hardest to see: her manicure.
Luckily, photographer Mason Poole captured a close-up of the intricately painted denim blue and white paisley print gracing several of her pointed French tips. On certain fingers, the bandana print covers the entire nail.
You can also take a gander at her nail art in the evocative campaign video made by filmmaker Melina Matsoukas and cinematographer Marcell Rév, linked in full below. In this modernization of Levi's 1985 "Laudrette" campaign, the Grammy-winner strides into an old-fashioned laundromat and fills a washing machine with diamond detergent before stripping off her pants and throwing them for a spin cycle. Naked except for her denim cowboy hat and white skivvies, she plunks down in the waiting area to casually read a newspaper while fellow patrons look on.
Beyoncé's Western-inspired nail art stands apart from the naked manicures recently seen on models Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid during fashion month, but aligns perfectly with another nail trend that picked up speed over the summer: the French manicure. Given how many designers sent elaborate takes on the classic Y2K shape and style down the Spring 2025 runways, it seems the trend cycle is far from over. At Prabal Gurung, for instance, models marched down the catwalk with “smokey quartz” French manicures created by Gina Edwards. Nail artist Miss Pop also did a lace-inspired twist on the French with a shorter almond shape on models at Alice and Olivia. And for Naeem Khan, Pattie Yankee devised a gothic black ombré French.
Leave it to Mrs. Cowboy Carter to find a way to represent Texas right down to her fingertips. Can I get a yeehaw?
