Well it’s official; on Friday June 25th the colossal new megastore Forever 21 opened it’s doors. It’s a fashionista’s oasis as four floors, 91,257 sq. ft., 121 dressing rooms, and more cheap fashion than anyone can fit in their closets abounds. While the Statue of Liberty welcomes 14,000 people a day, Forever 21 is expecting to see 100,000 shoppers walk through their doors. The saving grace, to residents and claustrophobics, is that the store is open until 2 a.m. Now that, is what you call a cash cow and is good for the economy of New York. Space rented, jobs galore and taxes that will help off set a gloomy Wall Street. Forever 21 has made a killing with designer knockoffs. Good news in a recession, the prices are even lower than they were in 1983 $5.99 shorts, tops at $1.99, and jeans for $30, make fashion affordable. Do Won “Don” Chang and his wife, Jin Sook, founded the store 24 years ago and are almost always clad in controversy. Designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Anna Sui, Gwen Steffani, Betsey Johnson among others, have all filled suits, some have been settled for an undisclosed amount. On the plus side, the majority of Forever 21′s manufacturing is based in the U.S. On the downside, in September 2001, with the support of the Garment Workers Center (GWC), employees filed suits complaining about a variety of issues. The GWC lead a demonstration at the Changs’ $9.8 million Beverly Hills home. Forever 21 retaliated and filed suits against the workers and the GWC itself maintaining they were not responsible. In March 2004, the Los Angeles Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed. An undisclosed settlement was announced later that year.
Posted by Suzanna Bowling
on June 30, 2010. Filed under FAMILY,Shopping.
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