Jeans designer and retailer True Religion is seeking a revival through Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, having fallen to its knees amid the retail sector's crisis and the rise of athleisure wear.
The retailer and manufacturer filed for court protection from its creditors early Wednesday in a federal court in Delaware. True Religion said in a court filing that it's aiming to stay in business but plans to close an unspecified number of stores.
Snagged by similar trends that ensnared teen retailers American Apparel, Aeropostale and Pacific Sunwear, True Religion said it had failed to adapt to the industrywide shift to online sales and the decline of trendy denim.
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The company, which also sells and designs other apparel, said it had won support from a majority of its top-tier secured creditors for a debt-cutting plan and secured a bankruptcy loan that would need authorization from a federal bankruptcy judge.
"After a careful review, we are taking an important step to reduce our debt, reinvigorate True Religion's iconic brand and position the company for future growth and success," True Religion CEO John Ermatinger said in a statement.
Founded in 2002 by Jeff Lubell, Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based True Religion has about 140 stores in 33 states and foreign markets and more than 1,900 employees. It also sells its products in some 500 locations in North America and South America, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue.
The company went private in 2013 in a deal arranged by investment firm TowerBrook Capital Partners, which owns the retailer.
True Religion said its business had been undermined by discounts at other retailers, online competition and the athleisure trend, in which yoga pants have become a substitute for jeans.
The company closed 20 stores in 2016, cut 25% of its corporate workforce and sought to bolster its digital operations, but those moves were insufficient.