Fashion brand Hollister Co. (often referred to simply as Hollister or even HCo.) is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co (A&F). Products manufactured under it are intended for consumers of primary and secondary school age.
Hollister was created in the middle of 2000 as a more affordable alternative Abercrombie & Fitch. According to some estimates, this brand is one of the most beloved brands of clothing for teenagers in the United States. Hollister is a rather interesting brand under which informal style clothes are produced, literally imbued with the spirit of surfing and sunny California.
There is a legend that the history of Hollister began back in 1922, and was founded by someone John Hollister Sr., who returned to California after long wanderings around the world and living on his own rubber plantation in the Dutch East Indies - this was the name of the Dutch colonies in Malaysia and New Guinea. The emphasis in the legend is that Hollister, who graduated from Yale University, could live comfortably in Manhattan. But he refused it, because his soul longed for adventure. This story is full of passion, love for the sea and romance.
In fact, there was nothing like it, it was all composed in the office of Abercrombie & Fitch. But you can see the number 1922 on every Hollister item. Buyers know that the whole John Hollister story is nothing more than fiction, but they pretend to believe it. By the way, Abercrombie & Fitch also used a similar juggling with dates when promoting their other brand - Gilly Hicks, which no longer exists. This underwear always had the inscription "1932".
Young consumers of Hollister clothing are attracted not only by price and style. It is also an opportunity to feel some belonging to the much more prestigious brand Abercrombie & Fitch. And one cannot fail to note the uniqueness of the Hollister stores themselves, which are considered “cool” for a reason. Each store has a unique design, which necessarily includes beach motifs - surfboards, sea sand, palm trees, etc. The store itself is divided into two zones, for guys and girls - "Guys" and "Girls" (previously, slang words "Dudes" and "Bettys" were used to designate the halls). Both parts overlook a centrally located seating area with soft leather seats.
The scent of HCo's signature SoCal perfume lingers in the air, sprayed through a special automated system. Speakers hung throughout the room very loudly (corporate policy prescribes a mandatory 80-85 decibels) play popular melodies among surfers. And some time ago, visitors themselves could switch songs using a special touch screen. Subsequently, it was decided to abandon this.
Interestingly, the surfboards used in the design once served as a pretext for a lawsuit. The fact is that in 2005 the company used 360 boards, which were designed in the style of the artist and passionate surfer Robb Havassy, without his permission. Khawassi sued Hollister and won. The company was forced to pay him compensation, the exact amount of which was not disclosed.
Also, the use of animals in stores almost brought to trial. Initially, every Hollister store had a Maine Coon cat named Fletcher and a green Macaw parrot named Riley. However, this caused an outcry from animal rights activists, who rightly felt that the use of animals as decoration was unacceptable. Especially against the backdrop of constantly blaring music and subdued lighting.
To date, about 500 Hollister stores have already been opened in North America, Asia and Europe. The vast majority of them are in the US. The flagship store is located in New York's Soho district, has 4 floors at once, with an area of 3700 sq.m.
PS The development of the Hollister brand has not had the best effect on the life of the small California town of Hollister with a population of 35,000 people. Abercrombie & Fitch is vigilant in ensuring that local companies do not use the word "Hollister" on their products. The case even went to court several times.
