True Religion means quality jeans and a certain bohemian flair

True Religion’s philosophy

“There is only one true religion in the world”, says label head Jeffrey Lubell. “It’s people. And we all wear jeans.” So after founding and running a 100 million dollar business in polar fleece, Lubell founded True Religion with the intent to redefine the meaning of denim: “quality, American-made, authentic, timeless, great fitting, 1970’s inspired jeans wear”, as it says on the company’s website. And Lubell certainly succeeded in that. But it took a lot of time and hard work. Being a guy who doesn’t take no for an answer,

True Religion’s struggles

But it took a lot of time and hard work to get True Religion going. Being a guy who doesn’t take no for an answer, Lubell jumped through a lot of hoops to get his brand off the ground. When he was first starting True Religion, he got so passionate about the manufacturing of the jeans that he invested 300,000 dollars of his own money in production before he had even sold a single pair. Later, when it came to circulate his product, he had to overcome initial skepticisms from the big buyers. Lubell recalls: “I went to one customer, Fred Segal, I showed him my collection and he hated it. I went over his head and went to the VP of Menswear buying at Fred Segal, and she hated it. I told her I needed a break and to give me a chance. She kept saying no no no no no. I kept saying yes yes yes yes yes. 2 hours later I was still in her office and she gave me a 24 piece men’s order.” His philosophy is this: the best advertisement is the body. No need for an ad campaign if the customer base spreads through word of mouth. And that’s why he focuses on quality more than anything else.

True Religion’s success

Today, Lubell oversees a global lifestyle brand that not only produces high quality jeans, but also branched out to footwear, headwear, handbags, swimwear, eyewear, and fragrance. Name what you want in fashion and True Religion probably got it. The company has over 900 branded boutiques in 50 countries on six continents. When Lubell said that he had plans for “world domination” he wasn’t kidding! But even with that kind of success though, the company stays committed to “perfect fit, timeless style, and that hippie bohemian chic flair.” And that’s probably the best thing about the brand: quality is their true religion.