About us
Forever 21 all started with a simple idea – make the latest fashion trends accessible to people from all walks of life. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Forever 21 began in 1984 as a 900 square foot store called Fashion 21. Our founders, Korean immigrants Do Won Chang and his wife Jin Sook, modeled the store after popular shops they had seen during their travels in Korea. They started with the goal of selling chic fashions at affordable prices.
The small Fashion 21 store mainly targeted young women. It quickly gained a reputation for offering stylish looks straight from the runways at unbelievable prices. As word spread, more and more shoppers discovered the little store packed wall-to-wall with surprisingly cheap fashions. Sales took off and within just 5 years, Fashion 21 expanded into the first Forever 21 store at a larger location, switching names to reflect plans for further expansion.
Over the past 30+ years, Forever 21 has grown from that tiny storefront into a major fast fashion retail operation with over 600 store locations worldwide. While our product selection has expanded over the years to include menswear, children’s clothing, accessories, beauty products and more — affordable prices on the latest trends remain at the core of our brand.
Our Values
Forever 21 was founded on traditional Korean values and built through determination, grit, innovation and visionary leadership. These principles continue to guide our business practices today:
Give Back: We believe in giving back to the communities that have fueled our growth over the years. Supporting local charities and non-profits is central to our company ethos.
Embrace Diversity: Our customers and employees come from all backgrounds and walks of life. We strive to promote diversity, equality and inclusion across our entire business.
Innovate Fearlessly: Pushing boundaries and trying out new ideas comes naturally to us. We constantly challenge ourselves to create groundbreaking shopping experiences suited for the next generation.
Deliver Value: Providing incredible prices on stylish finds is the cornerstone of our brand. We work hard to run an efficient operation that passes cost savings directly to the consumer.
Drive Growth Ethically: Success is meaningless without ethics. We are committed to operating honestly, transparently and responsibly as we continue expanding our footprint worldwide.
Our People
Over 32,000 employees worldwide make up the Forever 21 family across our stores, headquarters, distribution centers and global offices. Learn more about who we are and what roles contribute to our success:
Store Associates
Our knowledgeable store associates are the face of the Forever 21 brand to many customers. Their passion for fashion, commitment to providing excellent customer service and ability to create memorable shopping experiences for all visitors are critical to our stores’ success.
Regional Managers
Regional Managers oversee store operations across multiple locations throughout the country. They ensure that company policies are enforced properly at all stores under their territory and provide support to Store Managers.
Store Managers
Store Managers are in charge of daily operations at one Forever 21 location. They take ownership over their store’s performance, lead their sales associate teams effectively, and aim to deliver positive customer shopping experiences.
Distribution Center Employees
Behind the scenes, our distribution center employees help fulfill online orders accurately and package merchandise for shipment to hundreds of stores. Their operational excellence keeps our supply chain running smoothly.
Designers
Our talented design team constantly scours the fashion world for inspiration on exciting new trends. They adorn our in-house labels with original prints, patterns and graphics to give our clothing and accessories a signature Forever 21 flair.
Buyers
Our savvy buyers work year-round to curate the very best selection of fashionable finds that fit the Forever 21 brand. Through careful market analysis and sales forecasting, they place orders from vendors all over the world to stock our store shelves and web store.
Marketing Team
The Forever 21 marketing team develops creative concepts to connect with customers across all touch points. They help bring our brand vision to life through compelling email campaigns, website content, social media posts, influencer initiatives and more.
How We Give Back
Giving back to communities and causes has been integral to our identity from the start. Even as a small store back in 1984, we donated unsold fabrics for churches to turn into quilts. Today, Forever 21 continues to support charities and non-profits through partnerships, donations, volunteer work and more.
The Riley School Foundation
We partner with The Riley School Foundation, a non-profit that provides essential programs for children with autism. Our stores donate a portion of sales from select products to support the creation of safe environments for learning and growth.
AdoptAClassroom.org
During back-to-school season, Forever 21 collects donations in stores and online to supply classrooms in underserved communities with funds they desperately need through our partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org.
Clothing Donations
Unsold clothing items, returned merchandise and fabric scraps are donated to organizations that support people in need via clothing distribution and recycling programs. This diverts textile waste while providing goods to those who need it most locally and abroad.
Our Commitment to People and the Planet
At Forever 21, we believe that business can be a force for good. While clothes and accessories are our passion, caring about people and the planet will always be our purpose.
We continuously challenge ourselves to assess and improve our social and environmental impacts across the entire company. As a large fast fashion retailer, we acknowledge our heightened responsibilities to conduct business ethically and sustainably.
While we still have much to learn and progress to make — we are committed to instituting more responsible, eco-friendly practices that benefit both people and communities.
Empowering Women
Women make up most of both our customer base and our workforce. We aim to support and empower women across our business and supply chains by taking actions such as:
- Promoting more women into leadership roles
- Ensuring safe, supportive working environments
- Partnering with organizations that provide critical services and advocacy
Worker Well-Being
The well-being of factory employees is extremely important to us. We implement and enforce strict standards around fair wages, reasonable hours and workplace safety. By partnering closely with our vendors and conducting regular audits, we continuously improve transparency and accountability across our complex supply chain.
Materials Innovation
We actively seek out opportunities to incorporate more sustainable materials into our products, such as recycled polyester, organic cotton and regenerated fibers. Investing in innovative fabrics allows us to reduce environmental impacts while meeting customer demand.
Climate Action
As a large specialty retailer, we recognize the role we must play to be part of collective climate action and change. We are working to measure, understand and reduce our operational emissions, energy, water usage and waste generation through improvements across our owned operations and wider sphere of influence.
The story of Forever 21 is one of daring dreams, bold risks, determined grit and constant innovation. Guided by our values and vision to democratize fashion, we look forward to responsible, ethical growth that creates affordable shopping experiences customers love while caring for our associates and communities. To all current and future customers – welcome to our Forever 21 family!
