FUBU
| Industry | Clothing, hip hop apparel |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Owner |
Daymond John J. Alexander Martin Keith Perrin Carlton Brown |
| Website |
www |
FUBU is an American clothing and hip hop apparel company. It includes casual wear, sports wear, a suit collection, eyewear, belts, and shoes. The name is an acronym for "For us, by us", referring to the African-American community.[1]
History
The company was founded in 1992 by Daymond John, J. Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin and Carlton Brown with a line of hats made in John's house in Hollis, Queens, New York. According to the company website, John mortgaged his own home for $100,000, and with that seed money he and his three friends and co-founders, turned half of his house into a factory and the other half into living space.[2]
In 1995, South Korean company Samsung invested in the New York-based clothing company.[3]
At its peak in 1998, FUBU grossed over $350 million in annual worldwide sales.[4] FUBU has received several honors for their entrepreneurial achievements. These include two Congressional Awards, two NAACP Awards, the Pratt Institute Award, the Christopher Wallace Award, the Online Hip-Hop Award and a Citation of Honor from the Queens Borough President.
In 2003, FUBU mostly left the U.S. market and concentrated its efforts overseas, also taking over other apparel brands. In 2009, annual revenue of the company was around $200 million.[4]
In 2010, FUBU relaunched in the U.S., rebranding itself as FB Legacy.[4]
Collection
The FUBU collection consists of T-shirts, rugby shirts, hockey and football jerseys, baseball caps, shoes and denim jeans. All are embroidered with the FUBU logo. Most of the products, such as the jeans, are imported from around the world. FUBU has now expanded to include various lines such as Platinum FUBU, FUBU footwear for men and women, intimate apparel, active wear, swimwear, watches, FUBU suits, and FUBU tuxedos. The Platinum FUBU collection also includes the M. Ali, Fat Albert and Harlem Globetrotters clothing models.
FUBU Records
From 2001 to 2003 co-founder Carlton Brown also established a record label, first releasing a compilation album entitled The Good Life in 2001 and then an album by the 54th Platoon entitled All or Nothin' in 2003. Both albums made it on the Billboard charts. The FUBU Good Life album was the highest selling compilation album composed entirely of original tracks that year.
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | U.S. R&B | ||
| 2001 | The Good Life
|
52 | 9 |
See also
References
- ↑ Snopes.com
- ↑ "FUBU Mainpage, Who we are/The company/Company profile". Archived from the original on March 4, 2000.(archived site)
- ↑ "Samsung C&T America, Inc. - FUBU". Retrieved 2012-09-03.
- 1 2 3 Nance-Nash, Sheryl (2010-07-24). "FUBU Founder Daymond John Stages His Next Act". dailyfinance.com. Retrieved 2012-09-03.