Passages Launches "Luxury" Clothing Line

Passages, one of the country's most controversial rehabs, has just announced the launch of its own clothing line. Those wishing to display their Passages "pride" can now sport the Malibu rehab's logo and brand slogan—"It's Perfect"—on tees, tanks, hoodies, fleeces and yoga pants, available online at the Passages Wellness Store. “We’ve created well-fitting, high quality pieces that proudly showcase the luxury image of our brand,” announces Pax Prentiss, Passages' CEO and co-founder. His father, LA businessman Chris Prentiss, set up the high-end treatment center in 2001 to help Pax recover from a decade of addiction to alcohol, heroin and cocaine. Unlike most US rehabs, Passages is not based on a 12-step model of recovery and rejects the "disease concept" of addiction entirely. Instead, the center promotes the idea that people abuse drugs and alcohol because of “diverse ailments in the mind and body," and that addiction is "a behavioral problem that can be cured by a diverse regimen of individualized therapies." 

The notion that Passages has found a "cure" for addiction riles numerous experts. The facility boasts an 80% "cure rate" on its website—but several former clients and ex-staff dispute this number, with one claiming it's more like 10%. While the treatment model may invite skepticism, the business model is an indisputable success. One of the costliest rehabs out there—charging $80,000 a month or more at its flagship location—Passages has reportedly also earned millions from sales of its founders' heavily-criticized book, The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure. Pax Prentiss is confident the new clothing line will see similar success. “We continue to reaffirm ourselves as the undisputable leader in this industry by using high-end materials and chic designs," he says. "We’re extremely excited to see the Passages Malibu clothing take flight.”