How True Religion Became One of the Biggest Jean Brands of the 2010s
Song of the week: Nas - Stay
This song came on shuffle while I was walking around the other day. That first verse from Nas is super tough, and large professor killed the beat. It’s drumless - a nice switch up every once in a while.
With that said, let’s get into today’s piece.
Let’s go back to 2010.
There were a few apparel brands that were seen faithfully in the culture, no matter where you lived or your style preference. The list included Nike (of course), Ralph Lauren, Adidas, and a few others.
But when it came to jeans, there was one brand that had a prolific run. Those jeans were from a brand called…
True Religion.
They were super expensive, had bold stitching, and horseshoes on the back pockets.
True Religion jeans came to the world when Japanese denim was gaining popularity in the streetwear scene, and if you had $400 to spare (or went to the Glenwood Flea Market), you too could rock a True’s (as we called them growing up).
Ya’ll know how this goes by now. Let’s talk about the rise, fall, and resurgence of the forever iconic True Religion jeans.
The Year was 2002…
"There's only one real religion and that's people” - Jeffrey Lubell
Entrepreneur Jeffrey Lubell and Kym Gold had a vision to redefine premium denim with a brand that had unique designs, superior quality, and meticulous craftsmanship.
True Religion jeans quickly became known for their distinctive stitching patterns, such as the iconic "Super T" stitch, and their innovative fits and washes.
As for the logo — the horseshoe on the back of their jeans became a mainstay after the duo received pushback for its OG logo featuring a smiling Buddha.
Moreover, as Jeffrey and Kym continued to build the brand, they established licensing deals through Europe and Asia that helped True Religion develop an international foothold — one that eventually led to them gaining steam in the U.S.
By 2005, they opened a flagship store in the U.S. and their success grew exponentially..
THE RISE IN POPULARITY
True Religion found itself a home in American pop culture, but hit its stride in streetwear once Hip-hop got a hold of it.
Having an authentic pair of True Religion jeans became a status symbol given that their most popular jeans retailed for over $300.
Rappers like Jim Jones could be seen draped in True Religion from head to toe in music videos & PR photos. And in cities like Atlanta & New York, True Religion became the hottest Japanese denim brand out there.
By 2007, partially because Hip-hop culture’s co-sign, True Religion’s revenue skyrocketed reaching over $490 million.
In the clip below, Jim Jones talks about how he catapulted True Religion to pop status(and how the brand was unwilling to work with him despite all of the free promo he had given them over the years).
Then, in the early 2010S…
True Religion experienced another surge in popularity — this time because of a rapper who was gaining his second wind.
It was the artist formerly known as Titty Boi.
He was originally one of Ludacris’ artists on Disturbing Tha Peace Record, but after leaving the label he was able to take his career into his own hands. With that decision came a new name:
2 CHAINZ.
With a new moniker and sound, Chainz released his first mixtape T.R.U. Religion. As you can see in the cover above, he was decked out in True Religion clothing.
And like a true innovator, Chainz inadvertently gave the clothing brand a renewed positioning in the market.
How?
Well, because his entire rebrand was founded upon the acronym “TRU”
“Tru” was his ad-lib on songs, the name of his brand (The Real University), and his mixtape series.
He even named his debut album “Based on a T.R.U. Story”
As 2 Chainz began to pick up steam with a slew of hit singles, the blog era was in full effect. In the Midwest, another artist was making noise named…
CHIEF KEEF
He was the first budding star from the city since Kanye West, Common, and Twista, and his single “I Don’t Like” put him on Kanye West’s radar.
After remixing “I Don’t Like” and appearing on Yeezus Keef inked landmark record deal with Interscope — and with that, an entirely new generation of Hip-hop fans (who would eventually be known as Drill fans almost a decade later) were introduced to True Religion clothing.
In the years to follow, Keef amassed a cult-like following and could be routinely seen wearing True Religion, which helped spread its lore with younger generations.
He even encapsulated his love for the brand in his song “True Religion Fein” — a song that even caught the attention of True Religion (song below).
BUT LIKE MOST FASHION TRENDS…
True Religion experienced some challenges after the boost they received from 2 Chainz.
The brand didn't adjust well to the next wave of fashion and ultimately lost touch with its consumer base.
When coupled with Hip-hop's streetwear affinities, True Religion eventually experienced a steep decline in revenue. With its original founders also deciding to sell the company, the brand's perception in the market ultimately crumbled.
Private equity firmTowerbrook eventually bought True Religion for $835 million. Jeff Lubell left the company after the acquisition, and the brand fell into obscurity.
Post 2010….
True Religion emerged from a second bankruptcy and is now on its way to regaining its cultural relevance.
In the past two years, the investors behind the brand have sought to strengthen their ties with the Hip-hop community, which helped bolster their popularity in the early 2010s.
For their 20th anniversary, they got together with the two aforementioned pioneers, 2 Chainz and Chief Keef, to release some content pieces talking about their affinity for the brand and more.
True Religion x 2 Chainz
True Religion x Chief Keef
As part of the collection Keef also curated a collection (some of which can be seen below).
Many fans saw this as a full circle moment and his affinity for the brand is still widely talked about across social media platforms like Reddit.
EPILOGUE
True Religion has continued making its way back into the cultural spotlight.
They’ve worked with a bunch on up and coming talent in the Hip-hop space including Dreezy (who’s from Chicago like Keef), and they’re putting out new collections regularly.
Only time will tell what whether the Gen Z embrace of True’s will be anything like it was in the early 2000s, but if nostalgia is truly a hallmark of that generation I’m willing to bet they’ll be rocking them again soon.
One.
TR is played out. Don't buy anymore articles from them. Wait 20 years and the comeback will happen.