EXCLUSIVE: Dreezy on the Meaning Behind Her First Denim Collab With True Religion

Tapping into Y2K nostalgia, True Religion has teamed up with hip-hop and R&B artist Dreezy to create a women's exclusive denim collection.

Following shortly after the Californian brand's 20th-anniversary celebrations, the collaboration marks True Religion's first female campaign in four years. In efforts to spotlight young artists' creatives, the denim label worked with Dreezy on developing the "Diamond" collection comprised of nine pieces ranging from jeans and jackets, to bustiers and accessories.

Taking inspiration from her two best friends, Dreezy created a cropped trucker jacket and straight-legged jeans in addition to a cargo midi skirt, mini skirt, wrap top, lace-up bustier and cropped tank. The nostalgic '00s collection is complete with a Horseshoe Thong, channeling one of this season's hottest trends. Speaking with Hypebae exclusively, Dreezy shared what denim means to her. "[My mom] was the first person I ever saw wear True Religion jeans and she bought me my first pair. So growing up, I’ve always been into clothes, and I’ve always expressed myself through what I wear," the artist said.

The launch arrives as part of True Religion's expansion into the womenswear category as well as its circularity efforts, with the collection partly made using repurposed pieces.

Continue scrolling to read our conversation with Dreezy on her True Religion collaboration. The collection will drop on November 10 at 9 a.m. PT (12 p.m. ET) online.

You mentioned that you were very hands-on, and sketched designs for this collaboration -- what was the creative process like working with the True Religion team? What was your favorite moment?

The process was very experimental and fun! The True Religion team told me how many pieces I could create from scratch and repurpose, and from there, my creative partner Jahzeel and I got to work. We did our research on the Y2K era, one of my favorite times of fashion, and remixed it with new fresh ideas that we knew the girls would love. I used to take art classes when I was younger, so I was able to sketch every design exactly how I envisioned it. The goal was to stand out while giving timeless fashion to capture every audience.

My favorite moment was seeing the actual pieces come to life. I felt so accomplished and proud. Everything fit perfectly, everybody was beyond happy and excited, and, you know me, I couldn’t wait to do the photoshoot and show the world what we’d been working on for months.

What is your favorite fashion trend right now? And your least favorite?

My favorite fashion trend right now is the unorthodox pop of color coordination of dope pieces. It’s so easy to match the exact colors of your outfit with each other, but knowing how to put colors and accessories together that you would never expect, and still making sense is a real talent and can be everyday fashion to me. It’s so cool seeing a dope fit with the purse, hat or shoe standing out in its own way. The girls that get it, get it.

My least favorite trend is probably what they call the "homeless chic" trend. I think it’s kind of lazy and it’s capitalizing off people who really dress to make ends meet. It’s one thing to be inspired by it, but it’s kind of nasty to me that bigger brands take that style and charge thousands of dollars for it. It’s like they’re taking inspiration from people and not even allowing them to afford it. I can understand if they were donating some of the money back to the homeless, but that’s just the time we live in. Trends come from any and everywhere so I get it, but it’s just not for me.

Which piece from the collection was the most challenging to develop and why?

I would say the attachable two-piece set. I’ve personally never seen this piece be created before so we had to do trial and error to make sure everything was functional and coordinated. From adjusting the length to the straps, finding the right hooks, choosing the perfect color washes for the half-and-half jeans, and even creating a bralette shape that’s supportive and a universal fit for all shapes and sizes of women. It was a little challenging but so worth it in the end.

Tell us about your journey with denim throughout your style evolution. What does it mean to you?

My mom was the first person I’ve ever seen give fashion. She used to get everything custom made and if it wasn’t custom, it was some type of name brand. She was the first person I ever saw wear True Religion jeans and she bought me my first pair. So growing up, I’ve always been into clothes, and I’ve always expressed myself through what I wear. I was more of a tomboy than her, so I took her over-the-top fashion sense and made it my own.

As I got older I learned how important denim is and how it's a major piece in your closet. Whether you want to be casual, cool or even classy at times, denim can be used in so many ways and still be respected by all fashion critics. Besides, nothing better than putting on a pair of perfectly fitted jeans.