Vanity Fair Brands, Inc history

During that time, he led the company through turbulent times, such as the economic changes that came with World War II. In 1941, the war brought about an embargo on silk, and the company began using rayon in the production of its lingerie.

In 1943 the name was shortened to Blue Bell, Inc.

In 1947, the brand name Wrangler was developed for this rapidly growing product line.

In 1949 Lee introduced Lady Lee Riders, the first line of women's jeans.

These innovations changed the face of the lingerie industry. As a result, in 1950 Vanity Fair became the first lingerie manufacturer to receive the Coty Award for Design.

In 1951 Barbey, who owned nearly all of the company's common stock, decided to take the company public.

Overseas expansion began in 1958 when Vanity Fair entered into an agreement with the U.K. firm Wolsey Ltd. to make Vanity Fair-style lingerie under the brand Wolsey-Vanity Fair.

Neal Dow and Miller both served brief stints as president before Manford O. Lee began a long tenure in the position in early 1959.

Led first by S. S. (Sam) Walker and then by his son, Dudley Walker, after Sam’s death in 1960, the firm became one of the largest manufacturers of knitted outerwear in the United States.

An International Division was created in 1962 to help drive foreign expansion.

In 1967, as sales growth for lingerie items was beginning to top off, Vanity Fair attempted to offset the effects by expanding into the robe and loungewear market.

The firm completed two major acquisitions in 1969, including the purchase of the H.D. Lee Company, Inc., a manufacturer of men's and boys' jeans and casual pants based in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.

In 1970 some of Berkshire's unused factory space in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, three miles west of Reading was converted into the first VF factory outlet store.

Meanwhile, in 1971, VF acquired Kay Windsor, Inc., a manufacturer of budget-priced, ready-to-wear women's dresses and sportswear.

In 1973, Health-tex was acquired by Chesebrough-Pond’s Inc., a marketer of consumer products.

In 1977 a VF Corporation International Division was established to manage the company's growing operations overseas.

The Rustler brand had been introduced by Blue Bell in 1979 as a basic jean to be sold through mass merchandisers.

In 1980 Lawrence R. Pugh joined VF as president and chief operating officer.

Manford Lee lost a battle with cancer in early 1982, and Pugh became CEO in addition to president.

Following that record year, Pugh handed down his role as president to Mackey J. McDonald, while still remaining at the company’s helm as chairman and CEO. McDonald was a onetime president of the Wrangler division who had worked his way through the ranks since joining VF in 1983.

VF also purchased Bassett-Walker, Inc., a producer of fleece activewear based in Martinsville, Virginia, in November 1984 for $293.3 million.

Health-tex was sold in 1985 in a leveraged buyout to a group of investors who subsequently sold the firm to VF six years later.

By 1989 declining jeans sales finally caught up to VF. In the past, whenever one division’s sales had slowed, VF had managed to survive the slump by relying on strong sales in its other divisions.

People, Product, Pride…The History and Heritage of VF Corporation and Its Divisions, Wyomissing, Penn.: VF Corporation, 1991.

With the purchases, VF’s international division posted a sales increase of 52 percent for 1992.

The new initiatives helped propel revenues past $1 billion for the first time in 1993.

1994 was a year characterized by cooperative endeavors between different VF divisions and other well-known companies.

Jantzen worked with Nike, Inc. to develop a new line of performance swimwear, while Nutmeg readied itself to launch some of its 1995 sports apparel under the Lee Sport name.

Garfield, Bob. "Lusty Jeans Watchers Provide Pants for Lee." Advertising Age, July 22, 1996.

Then in October 1997 the company announced that it would break with its Pennsylvania roots by moving the corporate headquarters from Wyomissing to Greensboro, North Carolina, in order to locate the corporate staff closer to where much of the firm's marketing and support units were positioned.

VF succeeded in bolstering its intimate apparel lines by acquiring Bestform Group Inc. in February 1998.

VF’s acquisition spree continued in 2000.

The chain reported a 24 percent drop in sales in April 2002 at stores open one year or more.

For the initial launch in 2003, Fallon focused exclusively on television spots that ran on the major broadcast and cable networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, MTV, and E! Entertainment Television.

Additional television spots were developed for subsequent use and were aired throughout 2004.

"Moms Are Getting Hip and Hot: Historic Jeans Maker Is Primed; Lee Jeans Touts Its One True Fit Jean the Choice of Hot Moms." PR Newswire, February 1, 2005.