Bluefly - Fashion Company Profile
Bluefly was a pioneer of online designer fashion: founded in 1998 in New York's Fashion District, it sold clothing and accessories from more than 350 European and American designers at value prices, years before off-price luxury e-commerce was normal. Clearlake Capital took it private in 2013. On February 1, 2019 the site shut abruptly and the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, ending one of the first fashion e-tailers as a going concern.
Company Snapshot
- Status
- Closed - shut without notice on February 1, 2019 and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy; its brand assets were offered for auction in 2019
- Type
- Online retailer (defunct)
- Headquarters
- New York City, New York, United States (historical)
- Founded
- 1998
Company Profile
Bluefly's remaining interest is historical - Belle & Clive, its flash-sale offshoot, and the Eyefly venture were early experiments in formats the industry later standardised. Those ventures are recorded in the profile section below, and the full earlier record is on the history page.
Even the name is explained - the kind of detail only a company profile keeps. Since they are a Web business, they know they have to be hard to catch - nimble, fast and ready to turn directions on a dime: the 'Fly' seemed to perfectly symbolize their objectives. The idea of 'Blue' really came from giving the name a friendly personality. They built the site and the business to be interesting, creative, enjoyable and just slightly unpredictable - and thus 'Bluefly' was born. A 1998 founding makes this one of the earliest online fashion retailers in this directory, launched in the same year as Bare Necessities' online intimates model a few pages earlier in this letter.
Bluefly 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- its history, past brand line-ups, figures and photographs from the periods described - is kept on a separate page for historical reference.
Bluefly History & Historical Profile →Common Questions
When was Bluefly founded, and what does it sell?
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in New York's Fashion District, Bluefly is an online retailer of designer brands, fashion trends and superior value, with clothing and accessories from over 350 top European and American designers.
What were Belle & Clive and Eyefly?
Belle & Clive, launched in 2011, was a members-only destination for limited-time sale events on curated designer brands. Eyefly was a 52%-owned online eyewear venture with A + D Labs, announced January 2011 and sold back to A + D Labs on October 25, 2012.
What happened to Bluefly in May 2013?
An affiliate of Clearlake Capital Group purchased approximately 89% of Bluefly Inc.; its Runway Acquisition Sub purchased the four principal stockholders' shares on May 23, 2013 and merged into Bluefly, with Bluefly surviving.
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