True Religion Brand Jeans

True Religion Brand Jeans is a denim and lifestyle apparel company known for its bold styling and signature horseshoe back-pocket stitching. The brand designs and sells jeans, casual apparel, and accessories for men, women, and kids. Its products are distributed through company-operated stores, a global e-commerce platform, and a network of select wholesale partners, which together give it visibility across major retail corridors and online.

The company was founded in 2002 in Los Angeles by Jeff Lubell and Kym Gold. It came to prominence in the early 2000s by leaning into a distinctive, West Coast take on premium denim that stood out in both fit and visual identity. That early momentum helped True Religion move from a niche denim label to a recognizable lifestyle brand with reach across North America, Europe, and Asia.

As of December 2024, True Religion operates about 100 retail locations worldwide. These include a mix of full-price stores, outlet locations, and shop-in-shop formats, with a concentration in the United States and Canada and additional presence in parts of Europe and Asia. Physical stores are typically located in regional malls, lifestyle centers, and outlet centers, where the brand has a long history of trading alongside other fashion and lifestyle tenants. E-commerce has become a larger piece of the business in recent years, complementing the brick-and-mortar footprint and allowing the company to support markets where it may not operate a store.

A key milestone in the brand’s recent history came in 2020, when TowerBrook Capital Partners acquired True Religion out of bankruptcy. Since that transaction, the company has focused on revitalizing the brand, modernizing its product offering, and investing in digital capabilities. Over roughly the last five years, the business has shifted from a growth-at-all-costs posture to a more measured approach that aims to protect profitable stores, sharpen the merchandise mix, and reconnect with both legacy customers and a younger shopper.

As of December 2024, True Religion is not pursuing aggressive new-store rollouts. The company continues to evaluate new locations selectively, but its current strategy places greater emphasis on closing underperforming units, improving operations in existing stores, and reinforcing a core presence in proven shopping centers and outlet environments. That approach, backed by private equity ownership, positions True Religion as a stable, recognizable soft-goods tenant that can add traffic and brand recognition to established retail projects, particularly those catering to fashion and value-focused shoppers in the United States, Canada, and key international markets.