Forever 21: steal this look! (the working methods adopted by Forever 21, the fast-growing, family-owned, low-cost clothing empire)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 19, Issue 4

Berfield S.Bloomberg Businessweek (USA), 24-30 January 2011, Start page: 90, No. of pages: 7

Describes the working methods adopted by Forever 21, the fast-growing,family-owned, low-cost clothing empire, located in Los Angeles, California, that offers low-cost clothes for teenage girls that are similar to products that have come from top designers. Explains that Forever 21, owned and run by the Chang family, has a design process that is hidden by mystery but appears to involve copying fashion designs, but where the company has never been found liable for copyright infringement. Argues that the company owners’ reluctance to open themselves and their company to more scrutiny may stem from the many lawsuits that they have faced in the past, one of which involved allegations that the Forever 21 used products from producers’ factories where working conditions were unsatisfactory, which led to a nationwide boycott by garment workers. Concludes by noting how the many lawsuits have impacted on how Forever 21 operates.ISSN: 0007-7136Reference: 40AE804

Keywords: Garment industry, Organizations, Litigation,Copyright law, USA