BRAND STORIES

BACK TO THE ROOTS, BACK TO SUCCESS

Throughout its 20-year company history, True Religion has experienced several highs and lows. But bolstered by its original image, the US denim brand is currently enjoying a real comeback – which also has a lot to do with its collaboration with Supreme. On the trail of a denim phenomenon.

INTERVIEW DENIZ TROSDORFF

The first time I came into contact with the brand True Religion was in my mid-20s at the end of the 2000s. My first proper contact with the True insignias was the laughing Buddha on colourful tops and the distinctive white Super T stitching in the shape of a horseshoe on the back pockets of casually cut jeans – fashion goals for anyone who wanted to channel the Californian style. One decade later, the label isn’t just revisiting the famous symbolism of its early years, but also the triumphs of that time. Following two Chapter 11 bankruptcies in recent years, the current hype surrounding the brand is like a welcome renaissance that is also helping to boost its image. Supreme’s recently initiated collaboration with True Religion is also a key factor in its recurring success and has triggered a huge demand for the products not only in the USA, but also in Europe. The result? A soldout collab collection within hours. Did we miss something?

THE POWER OF REJUVENATION

In the USA, True Religion has recently emerged as a democratic denim label – democratic in the sense that virtually everyone can afford a pair of TR jeans. In the past, a pair of True Religions could set you back 300 dollars at luxury department stores like Neiman Marcus. But under the management of Michael Buckley, CEO of the brand in the years 2006 to 2010 and back at the helm since 2019, True Religion is now aiming to reach a larger target group in a wide range of age groups and sections of the population, in particular Generation Z. Buckley hopes to achieve this using the aforementioned iconic hallmark features because, in his opinion, these are what represent the face of the brand and make it what it is: a denim brand with history and a memorable brand identity, which is exactly what young consumers are looking for. As a result, they are shifting their focus back onto the brand’s distinguishing characteristics, which had taken somewhat of a back seat recently. For the younger target group, the label has embarked on a number of collaborations with young artists from the music, art and dance scene, including pop artist Yendry, artist Elijah Popo, artist and designer Cheyne Gallarde and influencer and entrepreneur Kayla Manning and her fiancé Justus Tucker, who speak out on everything from LGBTQ+ and the Afro-Latino community to female empowerment and body positivity. Role models who young people can identify with and, at the same time, establish a connection with the True Religion brand.

YOUNG, YES, BUT NOT AT ANY PRICE

So, we’ve already covered True Religion USA, but what does the phenomenon look like in Europe, or here in Germany to be more precise? We spoke to Reinhard Haase, Managing Director of Düsseldorf-based agency Unifa GmbH and CEO of True Religion Brand Jeans Germany GmbH, about the image of the brand in this part of the world. Haase has not only accompanied and established the sales aspect of the True Religion brand here since the early 2000s but is also an aficionado of many other American brands. And he certainly has good reason to be optimistic about True Religion’s development: “The brand’s image has really improved. Michael Buckley has done a great job and has very much fulfilled his goal of consolidating True Religion’s position on the American market while also increasing turnovers.” By founding TRBJ Germany GmbH in 2018, Haase has chosen to follow his own path, with an emphasis on quality, by branching out from the US company with independent licencing stores and an independent collection. However, they still cooperate with the parent company in L.A. and have produced many of the licensed products for them. To our question of whether the current True Religion hype will also make itself felt here in Germany, Haase replied: “We are staying true to ourselves, but at the same time we will also adopt a two-pronged strategy. We’ll be offering the American products that we think are suitable for this market. That includes the Super Ts and Big Ts and we’ll see whether a new market opens up for us here. It’s important that the brand has regained its positive image, which can be accredited to the collaborations, including with Supreme. We’ll just have to wait and see whether the hype catches on among the young consumers over here and whether it has staying power.”

TRUERELIGION.COM