VF Corporation History

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The Company Description of Its Time

VF is a multi-billion dollar apparel powerhouse, with an incredibly diverse, international portfolio of brands and products that reach consumers wherever they choose to shop.

The Brand Portfolio as This Directory Recorded It

7 For All Mankind: when first launched in 2000, the brand earned critical acclaim for innovative use of fits, fabrics and finishes, and grew into a premium denim lifestyle brand with men's, kids', handbag and footwear collections. 20X: 'Stay West. Go Wild.' - the 20X line brought jeans, shirts and accessories to men, women and kids who want to leave an impression. VF Imagewear: proud that millions of people go to work in its clothes every day, through workwear brands including Bulwark, Red Kap, Chef Designs and The Force - uniforms and protective apparel for private businesses and public agencies, with a reputation for quality, safety and durability whether outfitting a police force or a chef's crew.

Rustler: hard working jeans, made to take on whatever the job - or the day - dishes out; tough jeans, pants and shorts for guys who wear them tough. Majestic Athletic: when performance counts, the pros count on Majestic, producer of high-quality athletic wear for every Major League Baseball club, the National Basketball Association, most major colleges and universities, and sports fans everywhere. Nautica: a leading lifestyle brand ranging from men's, women's and children's apparel and accessories to a complete home collection - refined, casual classics that are always crisp, clean and distinct.

JanSport: for more than 40 years the brand has celebrated outdoor enthusiasts, whether scaling peaks or strolling across a city park, with backpacks, bags and totes that get you from point A to point B in the most functional and stylish way possible. Eagle Creek: products inspired by travel, each built to withstand the rigors of the road and backed by a lifetime guarantee - a lifetime, the brand assumed, spent in the hands of a curious, adventurous soul.

More Brands in the Record

The North Face: from technical climbing gear to casual apparel, the brand delivers high performance, quality and style, and earned its reputation as the ultimate, authentic outdoor brand under the motto Never Stop Exploring. Aura: the women at Wrangler brought you a revolutionary new line of jeans, offering 120+ fit combinations to customize a perfect pair. Riders, by the makers of Lee jeans: 'fits everything about you - not just your waist, hips and thighs, but your lifestyle, attitudes, personal goals and aspirations.' Reef is surf: a genuine surf brand inspired by perfect waves and the journey to find them.

Under the Kipling heading, the record tells the European denim story: Lee as the preeminent denim lifestyle brand in Europe, marrying authentic heritage with new experiences, attitudes and styles - 'culture is the ultimate fabric.' John Varvatos: recognized for signature detailing and an uncompromising standard of old-world craftsmanship, an eclectic collection pairing the luxurious with the casual. Lucy: lucy activewear's mission was simple - beautifully designed lifestyle apparel inspiring women to live healthy, active, balanced lives, with style.

Napapijri: 'initiate your own expedition' - innovative technical backpacks, bags and apparel with discreet colours and an emphasis on comfort, for demanding travelers. Eastpak: the authentic brand for packs and bags, famed for style, toughness and functionality and for collaborations with leading names from the art, music and fashion scenes, including Ozzy Osbourne, The Prodigy and Raf Simons. Vans: an off-the-wall original since 1966, creating footwear, apparel and accessories for skate, surf and snowboarders the world over. Timberland: on June 16, 2011, VF and The Timberland Company jointly announced a definitive merger agreement - the acquisition that brought the Timberland boot brand into VF.

Spun Off in 2019: The Jeans and Outlet Businesses

The record closes with the brands marked SPUN OFF from VF to Kontoor Brands Inc. in 2019. Lee Jeans: a proud history stretching back to 1889, and a heritage of quality clothes that are not only classic but comfortable - today one of the most popular work and casual brands on the planet. Wrangler: originator of the Cowboy Cut jean, symbol of Western heritage for 60 years; for today's men, women and kids, Wrangler Western jeans, shirts and accessories embody the rugged Western lifestyle. Wrangler Europe: alive with freedom from convention, rebelling against artificial constraints within the fashion world, with over 100 years of denim know-how. Wrangler Hero: premium quality, premium comfort - jeans, shirts, shorts and pants as comfortable as going home again.

VF Outlets went with the same spin-off: more than 70 locations nationwide offering discounts on brands like Lee, Wrangler, Nautica and JanSport. The record also carries the VF Corporation World Headquarters address of its time: 105 Corporate Center Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina 27408, phone (336) 424-6000 - the Greensboro home VF left when the headquarters moved to Denver after the separation.

The 2018 Separation Announcement

August 13, 2018: VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, announced that its Board of Directors intended to separate the company into two independent, publicly traded companies: VF Corporation, a global apparel and footwear powerhouse, and a yet-to-be named company (NewCo), which would hold VF's Jeans and VF Outlet businesses and be a global leader in the denim category. The company expected to create the two companies through a tax-free spin-off of NewCo to VF's shareholders. The separation was completed in May 2019, when NewCo began trading as Kontoor Brands (NYSE: KTB).

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