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💥 Fate: Filed Chapter 11 in 2015 and again in 2017; all brick-and-mortar stores closed in 2017. Brand later operated online under new ownership before going quiet/intermittent.
Mall-era fast fashion for teens and young women; twice-bankrupt, shuttered stores in 2017.
Timeline
- 1962
Company origins in Southern California; later evolves into junior/fast-fashion retailer.
- 1995
Acquires Contempo Casuals from Neiman Marcus; many stores later converted to Wet Seal/Arden B.
- 2000
Peak mall-era presence with hundreds of stores across the U.S.
- 2015
Files Chapter 11; announces large-scale store closures amid declining mall traffic.
- 2017
Announces closure of all remaining stores after losing financing.
- 2017
Second bankruptcy; intellectual property sold, brand pivots to online-only under new ownership.
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