True Religion Apparel launches first retail store in Manhattan Beach, CA

After letting some of the heavy hitters in the apparel business distribute its merchandise, True Religion Apparel, Inc. has decided to step up to the plate and set up its own shop.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. opened its first retail shop at the newly built Metlox Center in Manhattan Beach, CA. The apparel store occupies a space of 900 sq.ft. True Religion Apparel specializes in men’s and women’s denim clothing. The store, decorated with dark rustic wood cabinetry and hand-designed countertops, also carries a variety of corduroy, velvet, cotton bottoms and jackets as well as unique styles of knitwear, fleece sweat suits, vests, t-shirts and a line for children ages two to 14. The company plans to add more collections as often as possible to keep its customers pleasantly surprised every time they walk through the door.

Prior to opening its store, True Religion Apparel also sold its merchandise through retailers including like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Barney’s, Urban Outfitters, Ron Herman, Henri Bendel and approximately 600 fashion boutique stores nationwide and throughout Canada. True Religion also markets its merchandise internationally in locations such as Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Australia. The company plans to use the Manhattan Beach location as a test center for new products as well as a chance to show off its product line.

Every apparel retailer needs a hook, and True Religion’s is its Jean Bar. Customers can take a seat at one of the store’s 10 bolted down stools and comb through the numerous styles of denim and corduroy bottoms, jackets, t-shirts, fleece and sweat suits that hang on one of the two racks that are behind the counter and accessible to employees. When the costumer finds some thing he or she likes, the sales associate will pull the product from one of the 100-plus cubbyholes that hold True Religion’s clothing. The Jean Bar allows customers to shop without any pressure and True Religion can display its entire clothing line at the same time. The bar concept also helps establish camaraderie between the customers and employees.   

True Religion Brand Jeans was originated in December of 2002 by the husband and wife tandem of Jeffrey and Kym Lubell. The couple combined his love of classic rock and her appreciation for hip-hop and R&B to make up its trend setting line of denim apparel. Since then, True Religion Brand has been known for its attention to detail: from the fashion-forward seams to the embroidery and hand-sanded vintage washes. The company has distinguished itself as a leader in the high-end denim market for men, women and kids.  The company’s products have been featured in magazines such as Elle, Bazaar, InStyle, NY Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Lucky, GQ, Razor, DNR, Rolling Stone, Men’s Health, Vogue, Teen People, Teen Vogue, Star, People, InTouch, Life & Style, and US Weekly.

The company plans to open three to five more stores this year. It currently has its sights set on San Francisco, CA; Las Vegas, NV and New York, NY.

    For more information, contact Chana Taft, True Religion Apparel, Inc., 1525 Rio Vista Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90023; 323-266-3072, Fax 323-266-8060; Web site: www.truereligionbrandjeans.com.