Maria Erixon founded Nudie Jeans with Joakim Levin, her husband at the time, in 2001. Erixon has stated that she is drawn to designing jeans because "the more you wear and repair jeans, the more character they have. Denim is a living fabric that changes over time – and they are for everyone, of all ages and genders".
Nudie Jeans have prioritised sustainability and social responsibility in their business practices. The company switched to organic Cotton in the 2010s and offers free repairs to customers. The company also recycles some old products.
In 2024, Nudie Jeans repaired more than 68,000 pairs of jeans and collected close to 20,000 pre-owned pairs of jeans, going on to resell 3,500 as second-hand in its own store, with the remainder recycled into new products.
The company's cotton is sourced from India, Turkey and Italy and manufacturing primarily takes place in Italy. According to CEO Palle Stenberg, its workers are paid a living wage. It has stores in Sweden, Norway, the UK, Australia, Japan, Spain, Germany and Switzerland