You probably think of Abercrombie & Fitch and immediately smell that thick, window-rattling cologne or see black-and-white photos of models who look like they’ve never eaten a carb in their lives. Honestly, it’s a vibe that defined the early 2000s. But if you think the brand started with polo shirts and "cool kids," you’re about a century off.
The real story of who created Abercrombie and Fitch doesn’t start in a mall. It starts on the muddy banks of the East River in 1892 with a guy who just really, really loved the woods.
The Man Who Started It All: David T. Abercrombie
In June 1892, David T. Abercrombie opened a small shop called Abercrombie Co. at 36 South Street in Manhattan. David wasn't a fashion designer. He was an adventurer. A surveyor. A guy who spent his time mapping out the wilderness.
His shop was basically a high-end version of REI, but for the Gilded Age elite. We’re talking about heavy-duty camping gear, fishing tackle, and "elephant guns." His customers weren't teenagers looking for hoodies; they were explorers like Theodore Roosevelt and Admiral Robert Peary. If you were planning to trek through the Amazon or reach the North Pole, David Abercrombie was your guy.
Enter the Lawyer: Ezra Fitch
One of David’s most obsessed customers was a wealthy New York lawyer named Ezra Fitch. Fitch was successful but bored out of his mind with law. He spent all his free time outdoors and spent a small fortune at Abercrombie’s shop.
In 1900, Fitch decided he didn't just want to buy the gear—he wanted to own the store. He bought a massive stake in the company, and by 1904, the name officially changed to Abercrombie & Fitch.
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But here’s where things got messy.
David Abercrombie was a "purist." He wanted to keep the store small and focused on professional-grade equipment for hardcore outdoorsmen. Ezra Fitch, however, was a visionary (and a bit of a shark). He wanted to expand. He wanted to sell "the outdoors" as a lifestyle to the general public, not just the experts.
They fought. Constantly. By 1907, David had enough of Fitch's ego and expansion plans. He sold his share and walked away, leaving the lawyer in total control.
The "Greatest Sporting Goods Store in the World"
Once Fitch was flying solo, he went big. He moved the store to Madison Avenue, turning it into a 12-story cathedral of adventure.
It was insane.
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- The Roof: Had a log cabin and a fly-fishing pool where you could test out rods.
- The Basement: Featured a full-sized shooting range for testing safari rifles.
- The Inventory: You could buy everything from hot air balloons and dog treadmills to Mahjong sets and chainmail shirts.
For decades, the brand was the peak of luxury ruggedness. Ernest Hemingway bought his guns there. Amelia Earhart got her flight gear there. Presidents like Eisenhower and JFK wore their chinos. It was basically the coolest place on earth for the 1% who wanted to look like they could survive a grizzly attack.
The Epic Collapse and the 90s Rebirth
So, how did we get from elephant guns to shirtless models?
By the 1970s, the brand was out of touch. Younger people were buying cheaper gear from places like Coleman or Sears. Abercrombie & Fitch went bankrupt in 1976. It was bought by Oshman’s Sporting Goods, but they couldn't figure out what to do with it either.
The real "modern" creator of the A&F we recognize today was Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind L Brands (who also owned Victoria’s Secret). He bought the struggling name in 1988 for $47 million and moved the headquarters to Ohio.
Wexner hired a guy named Mike Jeffries to be the CEO in 1992. Jeffries is the one who took the "elite" DNA of the original brand and twisted it into the "exclusive" teen brand that dominated the 90s. He ditched the fishing lures and brought in the "all-American" sex appeal, loud music, and "Look Policy" that eventually got the company into a mountain of legal trouble.
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What Most People Miss
People often think who created Abercrombie and Fitch is just one person, but it’s actually three distinct "births":
- David Abercrombie (1892): The rugged explorer who built the foundation.
- Ezra Fitch (1904): The marketer who made it a world-class destination.
- Mike Jeffries (1992): The man who turned a dead outdoor brand into a multi-billion dollar cultural phenomenon (and eventual PR nightmare).
Today, under CEO Fran Horowitz, the brand has shifted again—this time away from the "exclusionary" vibe of the Jeffries era and back toward a more inclusive, high-quality fashion space. It’s a wild legacy for a shop that started out selling snake-proof sleeping bags to Teddy Roosevelt.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're looking into the brand's history for business or fashion research, here is how you can use this knowledge:
- Check Out "White Hot" on Netflix: It’s a documentary that covers the Mike Jeffries era in brutal detail if you want to see how the brand nearly destroyed itself.
- Look for Vintage Labels: If you’re a thrifter, look for the "Madison Avenue" or "Made in USA" tags on older A&F gear. Those pieces from the pre-1970s era are actually high-quality outdoor equipment and worth a lot to collectors.
- Study the Rebrand: For business owners, the way A&F has recovered since 2017 is a masterclass in how to pivot a "toxic" brand into something modern and profitable without losing the name entirely.
Note: The history of A&F is a reminder that brands aren't static. They are shaped by the people who lead them, sometimes for better, and sometimes for a whole lot of controversy.