True Religion inks licensing deal with GMA

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
May 24, 2022

American apparel and accessories brand True Religion announced on Monday an exclusive licensing agreement with Concept One Accessories and Capelli/Ballet, divisions of GMA Group.

The agreement spans True Religion men's, women's and children's cold weather accessories, fashion headwear, and jewelry, as well as women’s handbags, small leather goods, and hair accessories.

True Religion emerged onto the Los Angeles denim scene in 2002 and quickly became well-known for the construction of the classic five-pocket jean and the True Religion 'Super T' stitch. The brand has since been worn by athletes, musicians, and artists globally. 

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Under the agreement, creative director Zihaad Wells will lead the design and creative execution, which will continue to pay homage to the brand’s core branding elements including its horseshoe and Buddha logos. The first collection under the agreement will launch in stores this August. 

“All of us at True Religion have great admiration for the team at Concept One/Cappelli,” said Michael Buckley, True Religion CEO. “This partnership marks an important milestone in True Religion’s resurgence and we look forward to a very successful relationship.”

“This strategic partnership builds on our commitment to elevate and nurture the True Religion customer experience, affording all genders to enjoy our brand across more categories,” added Paul Rosengard EVP of wholesale and licensing. “We are excited to welcome Concept One/Cappelli into the dynamic and growing True Religion family.”

The GMA Group has over $1.2 billion in retail sales, across 12 categories of merchandise, available at most large retail chains in North America and Europe. With True Religion, the group said it aims to drive $50 to $75 million in retail sales across all of its product categories. 

“This is the first time we are bringing the full power of our group to a brand license opportunity, and represents our new go to market strategy that we will be adopting as we approach new brands and licenses,” said Sam Hafif, president and CEO of Concept One.