Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States,
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
,
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men.
Forever 21's marketing image is based around made-in-the-USA merchandise produced in California. While it sources its designs from hundreds of
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
suppliers, most items are in fact made in
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
that are under the control of U.S. companies. Forever 21’s merchandise does not have uniform specifications, patterns or even sizes; these details vary by supplier.
History
The chain, originally known as Fashion 21, was intended at first mostly for middle-aged women. The store was founded in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1984 by Korean businessman
Do Won ChangDo Won Chang is an American businessman of Korean descent. He is best known for founding the clothing retail store Forever 21.Chang grew up in South Korea and moved to California at 18 in 1981. He and his wife, Jin Sook , opened a clothing store then named Fashion 21 in 1984 in Highland Park, Los...
(
HangulHangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 장도원) and his wife Jin Sook Chang (Hangul: 장진숙). The first Fashion 21 store opened on April 21, 1984. It was located at 5637 N. Figueroa St. in the Highland Park district of
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The store sized at only 900 square feet (83.6 m²). It is still in operation and bears the chain's original name. Trendy designs seen in
South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
were sold and targeted to the Los Angeles
Korean AmericanKorean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
community. However, people from many other ethnicities and nationalities began noticing the trend-setting fashion designs and the store became increasingly popular. By the end of the first year sales were reported to have risen from $35,000 to $700,000. Fashion 21 eventually expanded at the rate of a new store every six months and changed the Fashion 21 brand name to its current name, Forever 21.
In 1989, Forever 21 opened its 11th store and first store located in a mall, at the Panorama Mall which is in Panorama City, California. Forever 21 increased its presence by expanding the average size to 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) per store. Since then, Forever 21 has been running specialty stores in major mall locations nationwide. In 1995, the chain opened its first location outside of California, which was at
Mall of the AmericasMall of the Americas is an enclosed shopping mall located at 7795 West Flagler Street next to the Palmetto Expressway in Miami, Florida. At its grand opening in 1970, it was known as Midway Mall. The name change to Mall of the Americas took place in December 1987.Former anchor department stores...
in
Miami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Adding new stores every six months, Forever 21 had reached a total of 40 stores by 1997.
Creating its own prototype store in
Northridge Fashion CenterNorthridge Fashion Center is a large shopping mall located in Northridge, California. It opened in 1971. It was severely damaged during the Northridge earthquake in 1994, but renovated extensively in 1995 and 1998...
, Forever 21 has employed its proprietary design concepts to all its stores since then. By this time Forever 21 also increased its average size to 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) per store in prime spots of top tier malls.
Forever 21 has received attention in the media for printing "
John 3:16John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible, and has been called the most famous Bible verse...
" on the bottom of their trademark yellow bags. A Spokeswoman from Forever 21's LA headquarters said the Biblical quote is a "demonstration of the owners' Christian faith." (A similar practice has been maintained by the
In-N-Out BurgerIn-N-Out Burger is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the western United States. Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside...
chain, which prints the quote "John 3:16" on the bottom of some of its cups.)
Stores
The Forever 21 Retail Inc, owns and operates numerous stores in different formats. the stores are: Forever 21, XXI Forever, Heritage 1981, For Love21, Forever 21+, Love21, Forever 21 Twist, Forever 21 Girls (formerly HTG81), and 21Men.
Forever 21:
This original and primary store carries women’s and junior’s clothing, accessories, swimwear, lingerie, handbags, and shoes. Imitating both Korean and American fashion trends.
For Love21:
This is another version of Forever 21, but instead of having clothes and accessories, this store carries only accessories. They sell bags, shoes, hair accessories, jewelry, scarves, make up, and so much more.
Forever 21+:
Formerly named Faith 21, this store carries women’s clothing in extended sizes.
Love 21:
This is a contemporary line for women. Their style of clothing is more suited for older teenagers and young adults.
Forever 21 Twist:
Exclusive, limited-edition collections, with new themes launched every 4-6 weeks. Collections so far include Cirque 21, Twist of Punk, Ballet - Tutu Cute, Disco 21, Tres Paris, Rocker Babes, Twisted Wonderland, All Dolled p, I Love Nerds, Street Chic, and Boy Meets Girl.
Forever 21 Girls:
Formerly known as HTG81, this is a kid formatted version equivalent to the Forever 21 adult line. Their style is more suitable for younger kids/pre-teens.
21Men:
Formerly known as Heritage 1981 Mens, this store is a male version of Forever 21. It offers the same trendy fashion styles, but only for men.
XXI Forever is the name for the newest flagship stores being introduced around the country. New stores are still opened under the Forever 21 name as big-box stores including the 21Men line.
New flagship store
On January 23, 2010 Forever 21 opened a new 85000 square feet (7,896.8 m²) store in
Cerritos, CaliforniaCerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956...
. Being one of the largest, the store is designated as the chain's flagship store. A store opened up Louisville, Kentucky on February 11th, 2011, and it is 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²). It is the second-largest Forever 21 in the world.
Conversions
In early 2009 Forever 21 opened 11 department store-sized locations in the United States carrying merchandise for men, women, and children, after assuming the leases of 15
MervynsMervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
following the chain's bankruptcy filing.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/First+Phase+of+Forever+21+Stores+Open+for+Business+in+Macerich-Owned...-a0194264569 A 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) Forever 21 in
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, in
Times SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, in the space formerly occupied by the Virgin Megastore, in addition to some adjoining space, was opened June 25, 2010. Later that year, Forever 21 opened a store in
Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
in the 94000 square feet (8,732.9 m²) spot that was once held by Gottschalks in the Valley Plaza. On April 2, 2011 Forever 21 opened what was then their largest store in the chain at 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) in
Fresno, CaliforniaFresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
at another former
GottschalksGottschalks was a middle-tier American department store that operated 58 department stores and three specialty apparel stores in six western states ; some locations ran as Harris-Gottschalks stores...
location in Fashion Fair Mall. Another Gottschalks conversion in
Modesto, CaliforniaModesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
at
Vintage Faire MallVintage Faire Mall is a shopping mall located in Modesto, California. It is owned and operated by The Macerich Company and is adjacent to State Route 99.The mall is anchored by Forever 21, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears.-Anchors:...
, is set to open in August and will be 154000 square feet (14,307.1 m²) over three levels, making it the largest in the chain.
United Kingdom & Ireland
The first
EuropeanEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
Forever 21 store opened in
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
,
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on Friday 12 Nov 2010. The second opened in
IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in
Dublin's
Jervis Shopping CentreThe Jervis Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre in Dublin, Ireland. Opened in 1996, the centre is located in the area bordered by Jervis Street, Upper Abbey Street, Mary Street, and Liffey Street. -History:...
on November 13, 2010.
The grand opening of the London flagship store was on Wednesday 27 July 2011 with punters queuing up in the early morning. The store is located near Bond Street underground station and replaces
HMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
as its newest tenant.
Stores are also due to open in 2011-13 in the following locations:
- Westfield Stratford City
- Lakeside Shopping Centre
The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London...
- in a store currently occupied by TopshopTopshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
and TopmanTOPMAN is the stand-alone fashion business counterpart of Topshop that caters exclusively to men’s clothing. A part of the Arcadia Group, which also owns Burton, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans, British Home Stores and Dorothy Perkins, Topman has a chain of high-street men's clothing stores located...
, which are relocating
- Bluewater - in a store currently occupied by W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
- Liverpool One
- Buchanan Street
Buchanan Street is one of the main shopping thoroughfares in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. It forms the central stretch of Glasgow's famous shopping district with a generally more upmarket range of shops than the neighbouring streets: Argyle Street, and Sauchiehall Street.-History:...
, GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- as a key store in a major new retail development
- MetroCentre in Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
Europe
On Saturday 30 July, the first Forever 21 store opened in continental Europe at Rue Neuve in
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
: the store is 3,000 sqm. The second Forever 21 store in Belgium opened at
MeirMeir is a Jewish given name and surname.Meir can also refer to:In places:* Meir Park, Tel Aviv, a public park* Meir, Egypt* Meir, Staffordshire, England* Meire Grove, Minnesota, USAPeople:...
in
Antwerp on Saturday September 3rd 2011 and is 4,000 sqm which means it's the biggest one in Europe .
A store is going to open at
La Maquinista in Barcelona, Spain, in 2011. Two stores are going to open in Vienna, Austria, in 2011 and one in
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France on Rivoli Street in 2012.
The expansion into Europe will see Forever 21 compete against retailers more established in the European market such as
H&MH & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, New Look, Next and
TopshopTopshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
/
TopmanTOPMAN is the stand-alone fashion business counterpart of Topshop that caters exclusively to men’s clothing. A part of the Arcadia Group, which also owns Burton, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans, British Home Stores and Dorothy Perkins, Topman has a chain of high-street men's clothing stores located...
.
Asia
Forever 21 has also opened in several places in Asia, such as
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
,
IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
,
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
,
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
,
South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In July 2010, the first Forever 21 store opens in
ManilaManila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
with 2,400 sqm. while the second store opened on April 2011 in Makati with 2,000 sqm. The third store is set to open in
CebuCebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on November 2011.
Controversy
In November 2001, factory workers producing clothing for the company called for a store boycott until working conditions and payroll improved. The lawsuit was dropped when Forever 21 paid the workers' back wages. The matter was settled out of court and the company agreed to take steps to ensure that its garments were not made in sweatshops. The store later became the subject of the documentary
Made in L.A.Made in L.A. is a 2007 documentary film that tells the story of three Latina immigrants as they wage a battle against their employer, a Los Angeles garment factory...
which focused on three Latina legal immigrant workers who fight for three years to win basic protections from the retailer. In 2004, under pressure from
PETAPeta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, Forever 21 agreed to stop selling clothing made with animal fur.
Forever 21 has also been accused of infringing on designs from other fashion brands. Recently, designer
Diane von FürstenbergDiane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
has filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 for duplicating her dress designs. Since that time Furstenberg has settled with the company for undisclosed terms. Singer and designer
Gwen StefaniGwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
has filed a federal lawsuit against the fashion megachain, claiming the retailer illegally ripped off her
Harajuku LoversHarajuku Lovers is singer Gwen Stefani's brand of apparel, fashion accessories, and stationery launched in 2005. The concept for Harajuku Lovers revolves around the Shibuya, Tokyo area of Harajuku and the four "Harajuku Girls," Gwen Stefani's Japanese back-up dancers and entourage .Unlike Stefani's...
designs. Designer
Anna SuiAnna Sui is an American fashion designer. Her luxury brand retails globally in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Her clothing, fragrance, cosmetic, and accessories lines sell at Anna Sui stores in over 50 countries and are also widely distributed at leading department stores...
has also filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 alleging that Forever 21 sold and offered for sale numerous women's
fast fashionFast fashion is a contemporary term used by fashion retailers to acknowledge that designs move from catwalk to store in the fastest time to capture current trends in the market. This has developed from a product-driven concept based on a manufacturing model referred to as "quick response" developed...
clothing items bearing a striking similarity to her products featured at the most recent New York Fashion Week shows.
Forever 21 has also come under fire from the South Central Farmers and other
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based activist groups in a campaign known collectively as Never Forever 21. The criticism is based on Forever 21’s involvement in a proposed deal with developer Ralph Horowitz to build a warehouse and distribution center on the land that was formerly the site of the
South Central FarmThe South Central Farm, also known as the South Central Community Garden, was an urban farm and community garden located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets. in an industrial area of South Los Angeles, California which was in operation between 1994 and 2006...
.
Forever 21 has recently been subject of additional controversy, stemming from an interactive billboard installation in Times Square, in New York. It is alleged that Forever 21's advertising agency, space150 and director
Nicholaus GoossenNicholaus Edward Goossen is a director, and a photographer.Goossen's first feature film was "Grandma's Boy" for Happy Madison Productions and 20th Century Fox...
, copied a similar piece - created in 2009 - from London by interactive artist Chris O'Shea. These allegations have led to heated exchanges on the Vimeo page showing the work between Goossen and other users, including well-known members of the interactive and new media art communities. Both space150 and Goossen have since apologized publicly on Vimeo.
On August 19, 2010, a security guard at a XXI store at 6801 Hollywood Blvd assaulted and choked a deaf man, Alejandro Rea, for nearly two minutes because he did not stop at the door when the security alarms went off. Rea, who had previously been convicted twice for shoplifting, was seen on surveillance footage leaving with unpaid items and was arrested after the incident. The security guard was suspended for using excessive force. A pedestrian filmed the altercation and uploaded the video to YouTube, prompting responses from various news outlets.
External links