Naked & Famous is a Canadian denim brand largely known for creating some of the most innovative and unorthodox raw denim products on the market. From the world’s heaviest jeans to scratch-and-sniff denim, Naked & Famous strives to push the boundaries of raw denim, ultimately creating pieces that will deliver a totally unique experience.
Naked & Famous was founded in 2008 by Brandon Svarc, a Canadian native whose family has been in the garment industry for over 65 years. After working in fashion PR, Brandon decided he wanted to create his own brand, so using his inherent knowledge of garment-making and the apparel industry, he began his venture into the raw denim business.
After growing tired of celebrity culture and its impact on the denim industry, Svarc wanted Naked & Famous to be a purely product-based denim label that cut out celebrity endorsement and advertising. He hoped that this approach would result in an affordable, high-quality product. He didn’t want his products to be known for who was wearing them, but rather how they looked, felt, and were produced—always in Canada, and always from raw, un-distressed Japanese denim.
The sole use of Japanese raw denim is integral to the philosophy of Naked & Famous. Svarc has never been shy to air his opinions of pre-distressed denim—comparing the act of buying pre-distressed jeans to buying a Ferrari covered in rust and scratches—and therefore Naked & Famous will always use raw denim that was milled in Japan, which arrives as a blank canvas on which the customer can make their mark. Svarc is a self-professed denim nerd, and uses Naked & Famous to channel his creativity by experimenting with raw denim and pushing it to its limits. Consequently, Naked & Famous quickly made waves in the denim world with products like glow-in-the-dark denim, heat-sensitive thermochromic denim, and the world’s heaviest denim, which weighs in at 32oz. per square yard. Considering many raw denim labels focus so heavily on reproducing vintage jeans to meticulous, authentic specifications, it’s refreshing to have a brand like N&F on the market that’s willing to rebel against tradition.
