What Nautica is known for
American nautical-prep label founded in New York in 1983 by David Chu; now owned by Authentic Brands Group, with G-III Apparel licensed for North American distribution since 2023.
Nautica was founded in New York City in 1983 by designer David Chu, who launched the label with six pieces of men's outerwear built around a nautical theme, drawing on Chu's interest in sailing and the sea - the name comes from the Latin nauticus. The brand was bought by the New York apparel company State-O-Maine in 1984, which renamed itself Nautica in 1994 as the label's identity overtook the parent company's. VF Corporation acquired Nautica in 2003, and Authentic Brands Group bought the brand from VF in a deal completed on April 30, 2018, subsequently repositioning it as an upper-mid-range label priced between brands like Izod and Tommy Hilfiger. In 2016 Nautica opened a flagship store at 101 Prince Street in SoHo, its first full-price flagship in New York. Since 2023, Authentic Brands Group has licensed North American distribution of Nautica to G-III Apparel Group. According to Nautica's own current brand materials, the label operates 72 stores in the United States and 291 stores internationally, plus more than 1,400 branded shop-in-shops worldwide.
How ORBIS reads this city
Best for — Nautical, preppy
Global
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