From a game-changing partnership with Louis Vuitton, to projects with Nike, Vans, Dover Street Market and more, Supreme has been one-half of some of the most memorable collaborations in recent fashion history. True Religion, one of the original premium denim brands from the once-again trendy Y2K era, is the latest to receive the streetwear brand’s Midas touch.
On Thursday, True Religion and the newly VF-owned brand will drop a line of early ’00s-inspired gear, spanning baggy denim cargo jeans and jean jackets, to hooded sweatshirts and beanies.
Though Supreme’s influence is evident in shapes and silhouettes, True Religion hallmarks like chunky white stitching, heavy whiskering effects and horseshoe embroidery can be found throughout. Denim pieces come in black, blue, light pink and camouflage print.
The collaboration aligns True Religion, which had a rollercoaster of a year, with a streetwear label that has gone on to amass a cult-like following around the world with skaters, artists, and collectors who are eager to get their hands on the brand’s drops.
The collection also underscores the resurgence of early ’00s fashion and pop culture as trends such as low-rise and wide-leg jeans, and the pop stars who originally wore them, swivel back into the spotlight.
Collaborating with a youth-driven brand like Supreme might just be the ticket to renewed popularity, according to True Religion CEO Michael Buckley. “A partnership with Supreme is the ultimate testament to any brand’s cultural relevance,” he said. “I speak for everyone at True Religion when I say that we are thrilled and honored to have been selected as one of Supreme’s partners.”
True Religion is undergoing a rebrand after filing for bankruptcy in April 2020. During the bankruptcy, the brand slashed both its store count and employee base, allowing it to reduce its operating costs and lower its debt load. In October of that same year, it re-emerged as a profitable company with what Buckley calls a “healthy balance sheet.”
Buckley identified the brand’s current target audience to be men and women ranging from ages 15 to 50 with an average household income of $65,000—an audience he says is estimated at 150 million people in the U.S. alone. “Excellent brand recognition across generations is a testament to the iconic nature of True Religion,” the company stated.
The Supreme x True Religion collection will be available exclusively at Supreme stores and on supremenewyork.com beginning Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. EST in the U.S. The six-panel hat will debut at a later, undisclosed date.
