Jeff Rudes

With extensive knowledge of the jeans market and more than 30 years of experience in the fashion industry, Jeff Rudes co-founded J Brand Inc. in 2004 and today serves as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Rudes pioneered the French jeans boom in America in the late 1970s with his first denim brand, Paris 2000.

After moving his business from New York to Los Angeles, he established apparel brands such as Area Code, the trendy junior line of Lycra knits, and A. Gold E., the successful denim sportswear brand created in partnership with industry icons Ron Herman and Adriano Goldschmied.

Mr. Rudes launched J Brand at retail as an exclusive line for Ron Herman's Melrose jean bar in the spring of 2005, and it became an immediate favorite among consumers, celebrities and influential editors. The brand has since gone on to drive successful trends, from the dark-wash skinny jean to the "Love Story" style bell bottom.

In 2008, J Brand introduced a men's line and today also boasts a full non-denim offering in both the women's and men's collections.

Today, more than 2,000 specialty stores and luxury retailers in more than 20 countries carry J Brand.

The brand has launched innovative partnerships with designers including Hussein Chalayan and Proenza Schouler and, in the fall of 2010, partnered with five UK-based designers -- Christopher Kane, Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Nicoll, Meadham Kirchhoff and Peter Pilotto -- to create five limited-edition styles in a unique collaboration titled 5x5.