Community Narratives: Helen Cookman and the Creation of Levi’s® Functional Jeans

The Community Narratives were created to highlight the value of integrating a Deaf lens into museum exhibitions and programs, and of enhancing opportunities for Deaf artists, educators, and community members to share their unique cultural knowledge and perspectives.

Hello, I am Stefanie Ellis-Gonzales. I was born Deaf and have a Deaf family. I work at Ohlone College and my children attend California School for the Deaf in Fremont. This exhibition features a pair of jeans from 1975 collaboratively designed by Levi's^® and American fashion designer Helen Cookman, who was hard of hearing herself. She was regarded as an early pioneer and innovator of accessible clothing. Between 1955 and 1976 Cookman collaboratively led the largest adaptive clothing movement in the country. As a designer, she recognized that many disabled people faced barriers in the task of getting dressed and that clothing was not being made to accommodate their diverse needs. In fact, Cookman’s own hearing loss informed her designs. She constructed extra pockets on her famous coats to fit the large batteries that powered her hearing aids. Levi Strauss & Co. distributed these functional jeans widely through doctor's offices, hospitals, and rehabilitation clinics. They cost $24.50. The features on the functional Levi's^® jeans included full length zippers in the side seams, a roomy seat and easy to reach pockets, stretch denim, and the popular leg flare style, which was easy to put on. Cookman’s collaboration with Levi's^® represents a significant milestone in the accessible clothing movement, particularly given the widespread popularity of Levi's^® during the blue jeans generation of the 1970s. These jeans represent an incredibly important part of Deaf and disability history and legacy and continue to influence new generations of inclusive fashion design and foreground the importance of disability-led innovation and creativity.

The video begins with an introductory slide on a black background with the words “Community Narratives with Stefanie Ellis-Gonzales.” The next slide features the title of the story: “Helen Cookman and the Creation of Levi’s^® Functional Jeans.” Onscreen, a medium-light–skinned woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a blue sweater appears, who is standing in a classroom and communicating in ASL. Behind her is a bookcase and a bright orange curtain. At the bottom of the video, captions appear in bold white lettering against a black box corresponding with Stefanie’s signing. When discussing the pair of 1975 Levi’s^® functional jeans, an archival image of the jeans appears at the top right corner of the screen. The jeans are a dark blue denim wash, have a custom flare at the bottoms of the pant legs, full-length zippers in the side seams that open from the top or bottom, and a half belt buttoning on either side to hold the jeans in place when the seat drops. While Stefanie comments on the unique features of these functional jeans, a close-up image of the jeans appears in a box in the top right corner. The image zooms in on the back pocket of the jeans and the zipper that is sewn into the side seam. The color of the thread stitching is orange, and there is an orange Levi’s^® trademark label on the right back pocket. At the end of the video a title card appears listing acknowledgements of all those involved in the creation and production of the video: Thank you to Stefanie Ellis-Gonzales, Storyteller and Deaf Community Advocate. Dan Veltri of Treehouse Video, Videographer. Cecile Puretz, Access and Community Engagement Manager. Image courtesy of the Historical Museum, California School for the Deaf. The final slide features the names of the supporters of the exhibition: Levi Strauss: A History of American Style is generously provided by Maribelle and Stephen Leavitt; Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund; Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; The David Berg Foundation; John & Marcia Goldman Foundation; Colleen and Robert D. Haas; Dana Corvin and Harris Weinberg, in honor of Paulette Meyer and David Friedman, and Catherine and James Koshland; Kendra and Tom Kasten; Dorothy R. Saxe; and Marilyn and Murry Waldman. Media sponsorship is provided by the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED. The final slide reads: Access Programs at The Contemporary Jewish Museum are made possible by major support from Wells Fargo Foundation. Additional generous support by the Morse Family Foundation.

Watch our Community Narratives video on Levi Strauss and the California School for the Deaf: 

To learn more about the topics explored in this video, check out the following links, many of which were used in shaping the Community Narratives.

Support for Levi Strauss: A History of American Style is generously provided by Maribelle and Stephen Leavitt; Gaia Fund; John Pritzker Family Fund; Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund; Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; Mimi and Peter Haas Fund; The David Berg Foundation; John & Marcia Goldman Foundation; Suzanne and Elliott Felson; Colleen and Robert D. Haas; Dana Corvin and Harris Weinberg, in honor of Paulette Meyer and David Friedman, and Catherine and James Koshland; Kendra and Tom Kasten, in honor of Robert D. Haas; Michael Righi; Dorothy R. Saxe; David Saxe; Marilyn and Murry Waldman; and Rosanne and Al Levitt.

Access Programs are made possible by Leadership Support from Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by a Senior Mobility Initiative grant from the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and by the Morse Family Foundation.