‘We like to be first to be second’: How True Religion’s CEO is rebuilding the denim brand for Gen Z and millennials
Source: Fortune ·
Michael Buckley has remade the early-2000s premium-denim label with $59 jeans, bedazzled everything, and concerts.
From the source
A pair of True Religion jeans never tried to be subtle. The stitching, the horseshoe on the back pocket, and the price tag all helped announce what someone was wearing. Michael Buckley, who led the brand during its premium-denim heyday, remembers the feeling that came with owning a pair: “Hey, I got my trues.” Now that he’s back, he’s finding plenty of customers who still want their clothes to draw a little attention, and right now that often means sparkle. “We can’t have crystals on enough product here,” he told Fortune, listing T-shirts, hoodies, joggers, and jeans. At one store event, shoppers could even bedazzle their initials on the clothes. The appetite for standing out hasn’t changed, but what it costs has. Today, Buckley is courting Gen Z and millennials with more affordable clothing, music partnerships, and in-store experiences, while letting go of something the brand once prided itself on: setting trends. “We like to be first to be second,” he said. The idea is to catch a…