Exhibit 99

LEVI                             1155 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
STRAUSS
   & Co.
  NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            Investor Contact: Eileen VanEss
                                                   (415) 501-2477

                                  Media Contact:   Linda Butler
                                                   (415) 501-6070

Levi Strauss & Co. to Relaunch Private Placement Of Senior Notes Due 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. (January 11, 2001) -- Levi Strauss & Co. today announced that
it will relaunch its previously  announced  private placement of the issuance of
Senior Notes due 2008,  which are expected to be issued in the aggregate  amount
of $500 million.

The Senior  Notes will rank equally with all of the  Company's  other  unsecured
senior indebtedness.

The  Company   estimates   that  the  net  proceeds  of  the  offering  will  be
approximately  $475 million  after  deduction of expenses and  commissions.  The
Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to reduce  indebtedness.
As previously  announced,  the Company has received  commitments  for a new $1.5
billion senior secured credit  facility,  which is subject to customary  closing
conditions.  Assuming the new credit  facility is  completed,  a minimum of $400
million will be used to reduce commitments under the term loan sub-facilities of
the new credit  facility,  and the remainder will be used to repay loan balances
outstanding  under the  revolving  credit  portion of the  facility.  If closing
conditions  of the new facility  are not met and the new credit  facility is not
completed,  approximately  $385 million of the net proceeds of the offering will
be used to repay outstanding indebtedness under existing credit facilities,  and
the  remaining  proceeds  will be used for  working  capital  and other  general
corporate purposes. Repayment of $385 million of loans under the existing credit
facilities  would result in a total  reduction of commitments  of  approximately
$685 million under the existing credit facilities.

The Senior Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and may
not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable
exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933.

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