There have been three
retailers called Abercrombie & Fitch and the current A&F shares only
its name with the original business. Founded in 1882 in the Manhattan borough
of New York City, New York, by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra H. Fitch, the
original Abercrombie & Fitch was an elite outfitter of sporting and
excursion goods, particularly noted for its expensive shotguns, fishing rods,
and tents. In 1976, Abercrombie & Fitch filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,
finally closing its flagship Manhattan store in 1977.
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| reference: Google's image |
The name was revived shortly
thereafter, when in 1978–79, Oshman's Sporting Goods, a Houston-based chain,
bought the defunct firm's name and mailing list. Oshman's relaunched A&F as
a mail-order retailer specializing in hunting wear and novelty items. It also
opened shops in Beverly Hills, Dallas, and (by the mid-1980s) New York City.
Finally, in 1988, Oshman's sold the company name and operations to The Limited,
a clothing-chain operator based in Columbus, Ohio.
The current version of A&F
sells mostly clothes instead of pith helmets or elephant guns, and describes
its retailing niche as an aspirational "Casual Luxury" lifestyle
brand.
Especially since 1997, the
company has consistently kept a high-profile in the public eye, due to its
advertising, its philanthropy, and its involvement in legal conflicts over
branding, clothing style and employment practices. The company has been accused
of promoting the sexualization of pre-teen girls by marketing thongs to 10-year-olds
and padded bikini tops to 7-year-olds. (reference: Wikipedia)
