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True Religion was one of the biggest names in denim in the mid-2000s, but it was long out of the spotlight. Recently, the brand has regained relevance through a series of high-profile campaigns and partnerships with some of the biggest names in sports and music, including Ciara and Megan Thee Stallion.
Driving those campaigns and much of the brand’s recent traction is CMO Kristen D’Arcy. When D’Arcy stepped into her role in 2023, the company’s revenue was hovering at around $250 million annually. Now, it’s closing in on $500 million with a goal of reaching $1 billion in annual sales over the next few years. D’Arcy held marketing roles at companies including Coty, American Eagle and Pacsun before joining True Religion in 2023.
“I’m really proud of how we’ve evolved as a brand over the last year,” D’Arcy said. “We’re confident in that billion-dollar trajectory. We’ve partnered with [popular musicians] Megan Thee Stallion, Anitta, Quayvo — all these big names. And we also have celebrities wearing us organically, like [influencers] Kylie Jenner and Alix Earle. It’s been amazing to see.”
D’Arcy has led True Religion’s efforts to invest more in louder, brand- and logo-driven marketing. It’s something True Religion consciously shied away from in recent years, until a bankruptcy in the early pandemic years forced the team to rethink its approach. Recent marketing investments include hosting a drone show at NCAA sports games.
Doing so has translated to tangible results, with e-commerce revenue increasing 20% year-over-year in 2025.
D’Arcy said she and her team spend ample time immersed in popular culture, sharing their discoveries in a weekly meeting that also includes voting on a shared music playlist. And, she said, cultivating a network of notable people who support the brand has worked to its advantage. For example, Cordell Broadus, the son of Snoop Dogg, is a friend of the brand. He introduced D’Arcy to the rapper Sexxy Red, who later became a brand ambassador.
D’Arcy said her main priorities for the future of the brand are to keep growing the women’s business to make up 60% of sales — it currently sits at 50% — and to reach a younger and hipper demographic. True Religion has over 50 stores as of this year, with plans to open more in 2026. It also sells in retailers including Macy’s, JD Sports and Urban Outfitters.
“We used to target [ages] 24-45, but now we’re targeting 19-45,” she said. “We started doing paid ads on Snapchat and are seeing great results, and we’re in the middle of a college tour. We want to open more stores to see if that can help us get even closer to this younger customer.”
Private equity firm Acon Investments bought a controlling stake in the denim brand earlier this year in partnership with SB360 Capital Partnerships.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect True Religion’s e-commerce sales growth.
