Award-Winning Zihaad Wells to blow creative as Design Director

To further enhance its burgeoning design talent, True Religion Apparel Inc announced the appointment of Zihaad Wells to the newly created position of design director, reporting directly to founder and CEO, Jeffrey Lubell. Wells, a premium denim and casual lifestyle veteran, earned wide acclaim as a progressive and innovative designer at Levi Strauss & Co. Europe, where he was part of the leadership responsible for engineering the successful Levi's Red and Levi's Vintage clothing concepts, as well as Levi's Type One, paving the way for that company's remarkable achievements with those product lines in Europe.



"Few designers are as intimately knowledgeable about the history of denim as Zihaad and we believe he brings to True Religion an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of design, silhouette, fabric and finish to bring about product innovation," said Jeff Lubell, chairman and chief executive officer. "Additionally, he has a unique talent for being at the forefront of emerging trends and for interpreting a distinctive design perspective in the collections that he develops. We are ecstatic to welcome Zihaad to our team."

"We were struck by his innovative ideas and his presence as a leader in the design room," said Michael Buckley, president. "Zihaad is a creative manager with a thorough understanding of the branded denim market and has experience working closely with every aspect of the production process - crucial as we expand our collections to become a premium global lifestyle brand."

Wells, 31, began his fashion design career in 1998 with Levi Strauss & Co. and became one of the company's youngest designers. He progressed quickly to senior designer and was appointed creative manager in 2004, directing both the men's and women's casual wear product lines with a focus on denim. During his tenure at Levi's, Wells received an excellence award for the development and success of Levi's Red and Levi's Type One jeans product lines and handled the redesign and fit of the 501 jean.

Wells holds a bachelor of arts degree with honors and an ND in fashion design and technology from the London College of Fashion. He is a member of the Royal Society of Arts and received the RSA Design Award in 1998.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. is a growing, design-based premium global lifestyle brand. The company designs, manufactures and markets True Religion Apparel products, including its premium True Religion Brand Jeans. Its expanding product line, which includes high quality distinctive styling and fit, may be found in premier department stores and boutiques in 50 countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Scandinavia, Greece, Italy, Mexico, South America, Australia, South Africa, the Middle East, Korea, Japan, and China.

Source : True Religion Apparel Inc