Chico's FAS - Fashion Company Profile
Chico's FAS is the Fort Myers women's fashion company founded in 1983 on Sanibel Island, built from a single folk-art shop into three brands for women over 35: Chico's itself, with its travel-friendly knits and artisan-inspired clothing; White House Black Market, built on black, white and pops of colour; and Soma, its intimates and loungewear brand. Public for three decades, it was taken private by Sycamore Partners in January 2024 and placed in the KnitWell Group alongside Ann Taylor, Loft and Talbots.
Company Snapshot
- Status
- Operating - taken private by Sycamore Partners in an acquisition completed January 5, 2024 (about $1 billion); its brands sit in Sycamore's KnitWell Group
- Type
- Private - a Sycamore Partners company
- Headquarters
- Fort Myers, Florida, United States
- Founded
- 1983, on Sanibel Island, Florida, by Marvin and Helene Gralnick, as Folk Art Specialties
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Company Profile
The group's shared customer - an affluent woman the youth-obsessed industry underserves - is the thread through all three brands. Each brand's offer is described in the profile section below.
Chico's was founded in 1983 as a small boutique selling Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters on Sanibel Island in Florida. Their friendly environment and unique styles connected with customers in a special way that quickly evolved into over 600 Chico's boutiques nationwide, a monthly catalog and round-the-clock shopping at chicos.com. Even as Chico's has grown, their values - beautiful apparel, exceptional service and deep appreciation for their customers - still remain at the heart of who they are. Chico's FAS also owns White House Black Market and Soma Intimates, and the historical profiles each in turn; both brand accounts are preserved in the next section, and all three brand sites plus the corporate site are carried in the References.
Chico's FAS History
The earlier record for this company - its history, past brand line-ups, figures and photographs from the periods described - is kept on a separate page for historical reference.
Chico's FAS History & Historical Profile →Common Questions
When and where was Chico's founded?
In 1983, as a small boutique selling Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters on Sanibel Island, Florida, growing to over 600 Chico's boutiques nationwide, a monthly catalog and chicos.com, in the historical record.
Which brands does Chico's FAS own, as recorded?
Chico's, White House Black Market (begun 1985 as The White House in Baltimore; combined concept from 1997) and Soma Intimates (opened 2004), plus Boston Proper, acquired in a transaction completed September 20, 2011.
How many stores does the 2010 record give?
Over 1,074 specialty stores - 651 Chico's boutiques, 347 White House Black Market boutiques and 76 Soma Intimates boutiques - in 48 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
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References & Further Reading
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