Jeans that may set fashion trend

Levi Strauss & Co hopes its latest collection for women will spark a surge in jean fashion.

Revel, the name of the new collection, derives from 'revolution', according to Roy Bagattini, Asia-Pacific president of the San Francisco-based company.

At the Shanghai launch party, in a century-old red-brick house, high-heeled models practiced Yoga to display the flexibility of the tight, patent-pending denim that has been tested on 60,000 women worldwide.

"China is the perfect market for us to come and do that. In China, our business is very strong with men, but less strong with women, so we see the opportunity to help us penetrate that market," said Bagattini, explaining why Shanghai was the launch venue.

According to Jill Guenza, the company's vice-president of Women's Design, the jeans are inspired by make-up art.

The first pair of Revels, priced at 699 yuan ($114), a premium collection, will be available in early September.

The National Bureau of Statistics found that sales of apparel, footwear and accessories in 2012 rose by 18 percent to reach 861 billion yuan.