Madison Rosenberg, founder & CEO, SIMON Communications, and head of PR for Rudes Denim
For decades, the fashion industry was built on the assumption that the biggest brands always win as they tend to have more budget, recognition, shelf space and overall influence. But the consumer landscape has shifted. Today’s shoppers, especially Gen Z and younger millennials, are no longer prioritizing status over substance. The new currency isn’t the logo on the label, but the values behind the brand.
Across industries, consumers are redefining what “value” means. Younger shoppers increasingly consider a brand’s ethics, transparency and sustainability before making a purchase — placing a higher importance on supporting brands whose values align with their own.
In these market conditions, independent brands with clarity of purpose have the chance to rise faster than legacy names with decades of advertising power. People want to buy from brands they believe in, not just brands they recognize. That’s why story-driven labels, particularly those rooted in authenticity rather than performance marketing, have the chance to outperform traditional players.
Rudes Denim, a modern denim brand built from a multigenerational lineage of denim innovation, is a prime example. The name certainly carries weight in the industry; however, the brand’s success doesn’t stem from nostalgia, but from how it leverages its story to build trust, community and product integrity in real time.
A brand built from story, not around story
Rudes Denim was born from an understanding of the market and personal legacy. Co-founder Sarah Rudes grew up immersed in the denim world. Her grandfather, George Rudes, was behind some of the most influential denim brands of the last three decades, including Not Your Daughter’s Jeans and Jean St. Germain.
“From my grandfather, I inherited not only a deep love for denim but also a front-row seat to the power of a well-told story,” Rudes said. This lesson informs the brand’s approach: The story isn’t a campaign, it’s a guiding principle, shaping everything from product creation to community engagement.
Luis Pelayo, the brand’s other co-founder, began working under George Rudes at age 18, learning the craft of denim from the inside out — from fit engineering, fabric selection and ethical production, to the belief that clothing should serve the person wearing it, not the other way around.
“At Rudes, everything goes through the same filter,” Pelayo said. “We literally ask ourselves, ‘What would George do?’ Not as a slogan, but as a standard. If the answer is anything less than excellence, we don’t do it.”
How story becomes strategy, not just marketing content
Unlike brands that utilize storytelling simply as a campaign moment, Rudes Denim treats it as a brand operating system. The story is something the team runs on, not just repeats.
Firstly, this shows up in the product: denim that fits a wide range of body types, made with the same level of care George Rudes embedded into every brand he touched, prioritizing quality over fast turnover.
It also shows up in how the brand communicates. Early on, the brand launched “Couch Talks,” in which Rudes and Shannon Pieper, the brand’s vp, sat down and shared candid conversations about the behind-the-scenes evolution of Rudes Denim. These videos were not scripted campaigns, but honest conversations about values, fit, sustainability and the realities of building a modern fashion business.
“We’ve learned that today’s consumer doesn’t just want storytelling as content, they want it as context,” Pieper said. “Our marketing isn’t about simply repeating our story, it’s about showing it through the product, fit, sustainability and care that we put into every interaction. That’s how we build trust and community, and that’s what resonates.”
Instead of relying on a heritage name to sell the line, Rudes Denim leads with beliefs, transparency and consistency. The team knows that a legacy may attract interest, but values are what convert shoppers.
Proof that story-driven branding works
Rudes Denim is not simply leaning on its origins; its leaders are seeing results because of the way they have turned story into strategy. The brand has seen its strongest wholesale season to date, with buyers responding to the intentionality and integrity behind the product. Retailers note that Rudes Denim isn’t just selling jeans; the brand offers a philosophy that resonates with both their own teams and their customers.
“Authentic storytelling has become the most powerful currency a brand can hold,” Pieper said. “It’s why our wholesale partners and consumers alike are engaging with us. They’re investing in the values behind the product, not just the product itself.”
Consumers echo the same sentiment. The Rudes Denim community is growing because it shows up authentically in every way.
“We’re not trying to be the biggest brand in the room,” Rudes said. “We’re trying to be the most meaningful one.”
This is exemplified by the brand’s new billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, displaying that its denim is made for women of all ages and sizes — one of the brand’s most important values.
The future of value in fashion
Independent brands like Rudes Denim illustrate a broader truth: In a crowded, noisy marketplace, substance beats scale. The next chapter of fashion won’t be written by the brands that can produce the most, but by the ones that can mean the most to shoppers. Value is increasingly measured by how things are made, why they exist and the care infused into every step of the customer journey.
For Rudes Denim, honoring a legacy while innovating for the modern consumer is the guiding principle. “We’re not trying to replicate the past,” Rudes said. “We’re evolving it. Consumers are ready for meaning. They’re buying into stories they believe in, not just brands they recognize. And that, to me, is the most enduring form of value there is.”
Sponsored by Rudes Denim
