Fascinating Forever 21

We receive the weekly mag Bloomberg Businessweek. For a business mag, it's very interesting to me. I learn about all kinds of things going on in the corporate world. And they always have at least a little something about fashion in it.

This past week it was more than a little something. They have a long feature article about Forever 21. I don't shop there;I only have bought two shirts (and was given a coat) from them. But I knew nothing about the background of the store. Here's what I learned that interested me:

• It was started in L.A. by a married couple, Korean immigrants, in 1982. They are the sole owners today.
  
• Their two daughters are in charge of PR/marketing and the company's visuals.
  
• They claim to be Christians, which explains why John 3:16 is printed on the bottom of every Forever 21 shopping bag.
  
• Of the many times Forever 21 has been sued since the first lawsuit in 2001, all have been settled out of court, with the arrangements confidential.
  
• There is a documentary called Made in L.A. about a lawsuit and boycott of F21 by workers unions. It won an Emmy in 2008.
  
• The Budget Babe's blog is mentioned in the article, making the point of how shoppers are trying to recreate designer looks on a budget.
  
• It is also very interesting how much of their company remains secretive, with the headquarters difficult to get into and the owners hard to get in contact with.
  

I hope you found these points as interesting as I did! I don't advocate knockoffs, but I do respect the privacy of this family company and how their hard work ethic brought them to create this fast-fashion chain.