For Naked & Famous Denim founder Brandon Svarc, denim is art and escapism.

In an interview with Roadtrip Media, Svarc said, “I remember knowing and realizing that there’s no way that my imagination is going to get any better as I get older. I knew that as a kid, as a little boy, you have the greatest, most powerful imagination ever so when I try to design crazy things, I just try to remember being an 8-year-old boy.”

Svarc pours that creativity into Naked & Famous Denim, a brand renowned for design as well as an ability to toe the line between quality and kitsch—manufacturing both clean, distress-free Japanese raw denim and novelty pieces like rainbow fade denim, glow-in-the-dark varieties, scratch-n-sniff pieces, blanket-lined styles, and a slew of other unique creations.

And the Canadian native is proud that he’s doing it all from Canada, where the line is manufactured.

For the past 11 years, Svarc has played an active role in how the company’s products are conceived and created, traveling between Japan and Canada to design, source, strategize and organize the denim powerhouse from behind the scenes.

Svarc’s greatest pride comes from, “creating an internationally recognized brand, and specifically being profitable while making pants for a living,” he said.

The founder’s enthusiasm for the industry is contagious, and he hopes to see the same zeal in the next generation of denim leaders. His one tip for them: “Have passion. Passion is a great secret weapon.”

Svarc will next turn his attention to a Naked & Famous first—a flagship store in New York City’s retail mecca, SoHo. At a time when much of the brick-and-mortar landscape is contracting, the denim brand is moving forward with this retail expansion. Looking ahead, he’s hoping to be part of a trend that sees “less store closings, more store openings.”