Free True Religion In Fashion Magazines Essay Example

True Religion is a fashion label known for its trendy clothing for men and women. Although True Religion uses different kinds of fabrics for its clothing, the brand is known for its use of premium denim, which is handmade locally. For this reason, True Religion not only values style but also quality and comfort (True Religion). The succeeding discussion is an analysis of True Religion’s advertising and promotion in fashion magazines. To narrow down the scope of research and analysis, the discussion will focus on True Religion’s latest denim collection, which was a collaboration with model Joan Smalls, popularly known as a Victoria’s Secret model.
In February 2015, fashion design Joan Smalls unveiled her denim collection in collaboration with fashion label True Religion. The denim collection consists of sixteen denim pieces intended for daily wear, most of which are skinny jeans and crop tops. Smalls stated that the collection was a mix between simple and comfortable designs, to designs that make a statement. Small’s collection was part of the brand’s “Be So Bold” campaign for Spring 2015 alongside the hiring of fashion icon Russell Westbrook as True Religion’s creative director (Luecke). In an interview with Luecke, Westbrook stated that True Religion is in the middle of a brand transformation and the “Be So Bold” campaign illustrates what the brand aims to establish as its image. Through the “Be So Bold” campaign, True Religion is aiming to create bold pieces that are both stylish and inventive, while also keeping in mind comfort and people’s need and demand for unique clothing that stand out. All of these are incorporated in True Religion’s recent marketing and advertising campaign for its “Be So Bold” campaign, including Smalls’ collection.
In Interview Magazine, True Religion’s black, denim skinny jeans was described as a ‘statement piece’, which means that not only is it an in demand item but also a staple that makes an ensemble fashionable. In the spread, Interview Magazine featured a black, mid-rise skinny jeans from the brand’s collection. The article’s author, Brown, dubbed the ‘Halle’ black jeans ‘most wanted’. The piece of clothing was described as ‘simple’ and aesthetically pleasing because it has no ‘ugly stitching’, and may be used in different settings from the office to the bar. As a word of advice, the Interview magazine staff suggested that the denim pants named “Halle” may be worn with flats and blouse (Brown).
The article for Vogue magazine also describes the piece of clothing as flexible because it represents different kinds of ideas, often characteristics from both ends of a spectrum. In Vogue, the collection was described as ‘punky’ but ‘sexy’, and ‘feminine’ yet ‘tomboyish’. The article featured five denim items from the collection that women may mix and match including a blue, burgundy, and charcoal skinny jeans (Remsen).
The staff of Fashion Magazine wrote an article about ‘must-have’ denim pieces, from jackets to jeans. One of the staff’s selection of ‘must-haves’ for women include a True Religion white-washed denim vest. The staff described its denim picks as versatile as they can be paired with different items of clothing, from skirts to pants, and work throughout the seasons. Whether it is summer or winter, denim vests such as the one by True Religion may be paired with thick or thin clothing (Fashion). The Fashion Magazine staff also noted that including denim pieces in one’s clothing is way to update one’s wardrobe according to current trends in fashion.
High Fashion Magazine, on the other hand, included photos of Small’s collection. The spread includes five photos with a model wearing two different denim skinny jeans from the collection. Smalls’ designed were described as ‘bold’, which suits an active lifestyle for women, and may be worn day or night. Since Smalls is also a model aside from a fashion designer, she was the one who modeled her designs in the photoshoot. All images included in the article were provocative – Smalls wearing only jeans without a top on, Smalls provocatively posing for the cameras, among others. Smalls’ background in the photos is also reminiscent of a club or bar. Therefore, the images included in the article show that Smalls’ collection of denim combines style and sensuality, and that her collection may be worn during night outs (High Fashion Magazine).
After the launching of Smalls’ collection, Harper’s Bazaar interviewed the fashion designer about her modelling career as well as her recent collaboration with True Religion. In the article, Rutherford related Smalls’ style to the designers’ collection. Smalls is known for her effortless street style that combines comfortable pieces with stylish ones. It appears that True Religion collaborated with Smalls as a way for the model to translate her own, unique and effortless style into a collection that also remains true to the brand vision of True Religion.
In an interview with Rutherford for Harper’s Bazaar, Smalls talked about how she was hired by True Religion. According to Smalls, the brand asked her to think of a term to describe her collection. Smalls chose the Spanish word “sueña”, which means ‘dream’. Smalls’ collection, therefore, is not only a realization of the model’s dream to design for a reputable brand but also a reflection of her style, which is defined as a paradoxical street style. We say ‘paradoxical’ because Smalls likes contradictions, such as wearing boyish items with sexy and provocative clothing (Rutherford). These contradictions are inherent in Smalls’ designs for True Religion. Although Smalls is a fashion designer and a model, and she modeled the pieces herself in fashion spreads, one would expect that she designed them with the ideal body shape of a model in mind. Nonetheless, in a brief article in Vogue, the magazine described Smalls’ collection as a combination of traditional denim following contemporary designs. Furthermore, Vogue described Smalls’ collection as clothing that exudes ‘the off-duty model look’. For this reason, despite their hiring of Smalls as a model and fashion designer, True Religion still aims for this collection to be accessible to the market. Hence, they marketed it by stating ‘off-duty model look’ to show that ordinary women may wear pieces from Smalls’ collection (Kilcooley-O’Halloran).
An article about Smalls’ collection for Delux magazine also emphasizes the need for people to wear the designer’s pieces (Jackson). Smalls’ denim collection was described as a ‘guaranteed sell out’. Moreover, the author urged its readers to purchase their own pieces from the collection while they are still available in upscale stores such as Nordstrom. This part of the article constitutes the advertising and promotion side of covering current events in fashion such as the launching of new collections. In the same article, Jackson also cited True Religion’s take on Smalls’ collection. According to True Religion, Smalls’ collection is for bold and confident women who are aware of the amount of attention they are getting from other people. As True Religion put it, Smalls’ collection is for “the girl who knows that all eyes are on her” (Jackson). Hence, Smalls’ collection is essentially for confident women.
Overall, the coverage of Smalls’ designs for True Religion’s Spring 2015 collection in fashion magazines are consistent. All the articles stated the need and urgency to purchase clothing from Smalls’ collection. Magazines described Smalls’ denim pieces as ‘must-haves’ not only because they are in style but also because they are comfortable pieces. Moreover, Smalls’ collection is flexible such that women may wear it day and night. Smalls’ collection is also flexible in that women may wear it with different piece of clothing in any season. Denim jeans may be worn during the summer and paired with crop tops from the same collection. During the winter season, the denim jeans may also be worn with coats and pullovers. Smalls’ also noted that the collection is a reflection of her own style, which may be described as ‘effortless street style’. The collection is a combination of contradictions that describe Smalls’ style. Pieces from the collection may be worn to appear sexy yet comfortable, while also being tomboyish and feminine. In conclusion, true Religion has emphasized its “Be So Bold” campaign during its transition phase for Spring 2015, which aims to urge women to be more bold and confident not only in style but also in life. For this reason, Smalls designed pieces that are meant to exude these qualities.

Works Cited

Brown, Emma. Most Wanted: True Religion ‘Halle’ Black Jeans. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/most-wanted-true-religion-black-jeans/#_>.
Fashion Staff. Bring on the denim! 38 studded vests, moto jackets and printed jeans to wear this season. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.fashionmagazine.com/fashion/2013/07/25/fall-denim-trend/>
High Fashion Magazine. True Religion Taps Joan Smalls for Spring 2015. 19 Feb 2015. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.highfashionmagazine.com/style/true-religion-taps-joan-smalls-spring-2015-59074>.
Jackson, Diane. Model Joan Smalls Partners with True Religion Jeans. 2 Mar 2015. Web. <http://deluxmag.com/model-joan-smalls-true-religion-jeans-collaboration/>.
Kilcooley-O’Halloran, Scarlett. Joan’s Jeans. 18 Feb 2015. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2015/02/18/joan-smalls-true-religion-jeans-denim-collection>.
Luecke, Andrew D. We Talked to Russell Westbrook about his Position at True Religion. 12 Feb 2015. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.esquire.com/style/interviews/a33117/we-talked-to-russell-westbrook-about-his-new-position-at-true-religion/>.
Remsen, Nick. Exclusive: Model Joan Smalls Unveils Her New Denim Collection for True Religion. 18 Feb 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. <http://www.vogue.com/10479823/joan-smalls-true-religion-collaboration-jeans/>.
Rutherford, Chrissy. Model Minute: Joan Smalls Talks Flattering Jeans and Achieving Her Dreams. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/models/a10328/joan-smalls-true-religion-collaboration/>.
True Religion. About. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://www.truereligion.com/>.