A new collaboration reimagines early-2000s streetwear for a new generation while spotlighting a defining moment in hip-hop culture.
On Thursday, denim lifestyle brand True Religion and Phat Farm, the hip-hop streetwear line founded by Russell Simmons in the ’90s, debuted a men’s collection built on their shared Y2K heritage and design codes.
Kristen D’Arcy, True Religion chief marketing officer, said both brands defined the cultural conversation around fashion, music and personal style during that era. “True Religion and Phat Farm each had their own distinct identity, but they shared an authentic connection to hip-hop culture and the communities that helped shape it,” she said.
The partnership is carried out in pieces that splice together colors, fabrics and graphics signature to each brand. The brands describe it as a “smart approach to a dual-heritage collaboration,” adding that their “legacies are designed together, piece by piece, and the codes feel native to each other.”
Sport and collegiate designs anchor the collection. A signature Phat Farm rugby shirt is layered with appliqué and prints. A hockey jersey is updated in velour. True Religion’s signature denim is treated like a canvas for dark washes with rope stitching and medium washes with all-over appliqué. Logo designs use chenille and large-scale embroidery to add texture and weight. Patches and print are also stacked.
The collection’s hero piece is a puffer—an era-defining outerwear silhouette for Phat Farm—designed around denim appliqué and a bold back graphic.
The men’s collection launches one month after True Religion bowed a collaboration with Baby Phat, Phat Farm’s women’s brand. That collection also focused on Y2K styles like low-rise bottoms and crystal-embellished tops.
While the designs are nostalgic, the brands see the early-2000s aesthetic resonating with new generations. D’Arcy said collaborations have become an important way to bring different creative perspectives together, introduce brands to new audiences and celebrate cultural history.
“I think consumers are responding to the authenticity and individuality that defined that period. Fashion in the late 1990s and early 2000s was incredibly expressive,” she said. “What people wore was closely connected to music, community and identity. We’re seeing a generation rediscover those influences, while consumers who grew up with these brands are reconnecting with something that was meaningful to them. What’s exciting is that younger consumers are interpreting the looks in their own way.”
The partnership also educates young consumers on the cultural significance of both brands. “True Religion and Phat Farm were part of a moment when fashion and hip-hop were shaping each other in really powerful ways. That influence continues today,” D’Arcy said.
That’s what drew Brooklyn-born rapper Joey Bada$$ to the project. The “Devastated” rapper stars in the collection’s dedicated campaign. He described the collection as a homage to an important era in hip-hop and fashion without being stuck in the past.
“So much of what we see in fashion today comes from the creativity of earlier generations, especially in hip-hop. Phat Farm was part of that movement, and True Religion has its own place in that story. The beauty of fashion is that you can respect where it came from without feeling like you have to recreate the past,” he said.
“True Religion and Phat Farm both have such authentic roots in culture, so being part of something that brings these two worlds together is special. I have a lot of respect for brands with a strong identity and legacy. To see that history come together in a way that resonates with a new generation is something I’m excited to be part of,” he added.
