If you haven't stepped into an Abercrombie & Fitch store since 2005, your memory is probably a hazy mix of overpowering cologne, thumping house music, and shirtless guys standing at the entrance. It was a vibe. But honestly? It was also a mess. The brand became a punchline, synonymous with an elitism that just didn't age well. Then came the Abercrombie & Fitch CEO who actually fixed it.
Fran Horowitz didn't just tweak the logo. She basically performed open-heart surgery on a dying brand.
When she took over in 2017, the company was essentially a retail ghost. Shares were scraping the bottom at around $12. The reputation was toxic. Fast forward to early 2026, and the story is completely different. We’re talking about a company that has posted 12 consecutive quarters of growth as of late 2025. It’s a turnaround that business schools are already scrambling to turn into case studies.
The Strategy Behind the Survival
Most people think fashion is about predicting the "next big thing." Fran Horowitz realized that for Abercrombie, it was actually about listening to the people they had alienated for a decade. She ditched the "cool kids only" mantra that her predecessor, Mike Jeffries, lived by.
Instead of chasing Gen Z teenagers who didn't know the brand, she went after the Millennials who had grown up with it but now needed work clothes, wedding guest dresses, and jeans that actually fit a human body.
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The Abercrombie & Fitch CEO focused on what she calls "listening." It sounds like corporate fluff, right? But the numbers don't lie. By focusing on inclusivity and "Curve Love" denim—which literally saved the brand on TikTok—she turned a $12 stock into one that peaked near $200 in 2024.
Even with the recent 2026 market jitters over trade policies and a 17% stock dip in January after a cautious outlook, the company’s core remains stronger than it's been in thirty years.
Why the Previous CEO Still Clouds the Name
You can't talk about the current leadership without acknowledging the shadow of Mike Jeffries. It’s the elephant in the room. Jeffries was the one who built the "exclusive" Abercrombie of the 90s, but his legacy took a dark turn.
By October 2024, federal prosecutors unsealed a 16-count indictment against Jeffries, alleging he ran an international sex trafficking operation during his time as CEO. It was a massive scandal. In April 2025, his legal team even filed motions stating he suffered from incurable dementia and Alzheimer's, making him unfit for trial.
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This is the nightmare Horowitz inherited: a brand name linked to some of the most "abhorrent behavior" (the Department of Justice’s words, not mine) in corporate history.
How do you fix that? You don't just change the marketing; you change the soul of the company. Horowitz spent years stripping away the "sexy" exclusionary ads and replacing them with a message of "belonging." She made it "normal." And surprisingly, "normal" is exactly what people wanted to buy.
Record Sales and the 2026 Reality Check
By the end of 2025, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. was reporting record third-quarter net sales of $1.3 billion. That is a staggering 7% jump year-over-year.
Hollister, the younger sibling brand, also caught fire again, growing 16% in that same period. But being the Abercrombie & Fitch CEO in 2026 isn't just about celebrating. It’s about navigating a chaotic global economy.
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Management recently had to adjust their 2025/2026 fiscal year guidance to account for nearly $90 million in projected tariff expenses. This hit the stock hard in early January 2026. Still, they are projecting net income per share in the $10.30 to $10.40 range. That’s a far cry from the pennies they were making a few years ago.
What Actually Changed?
- The Product: They stopped making clothes for a 110-pound "ideal" and started making "Curve Love" jeans with extra room in the thigh.
- The Stores: They closed the massive, dark, perfume-drenched flagships and opened "Getaway" concept stores that are bright, airy, and actually inviting.
- The Marketing: No more shirtless models. The focus shifted to TikTok-ready influencers and diverse "real" people.
- The Loyalty: More than 70% of their sales now come from members of their loyalty program. That’s a lot of data.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Shopper (and Investor)
If you're looking at Abercrombie today, you're not looking at a "teen brand." You’re looking at a powerhouse for "casual luxury" and wedding attire.
For the shoppers? The "Curve Love" line is the gold standard for fit-consistency. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out on why the brand is relevant again.
For the investors? Keep an eye on the APAC region. While the Americas and EMEA are booming, APAC sales saw a 6% decline recently. That’s the next hurdle for the Abercrombie & Fitch CEO.
The company is planning to open 60 new stores by the end of the current fiscal year. They are betting big on physical retail at a time when everyone else is retreating. It's a gamble, sure. But so was trying to save a brand that everyone thought was dead back in 2017.
Fran Horowitz proved that if you listen to the customer long enough, they might actually forgive you for the early 2000s.
To stay ahead of the curve, check the quarterly earnings reports released every March and November. They’ve been beating expectations for a dozen quarters straight, but the real test is how they handle the 2026 tariff landscape and the ongoing expansion of the Hollister brand.