David Chu (b. 1955) is an American fashion designer and the founder of
Nautica, a men's outerwear and sportswear company.
Early life and education
Chu's family immigrated from
Taiwan to the United States in the 1960s and opened a Chinese restaurant. He grew up in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and
Connecticut and originally planned to become an architect.
While taking a summer drawing class at the
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a professor suggested that Chu try designing clothes after seeing his drawing skills. Chu later graduated from FIT, and was named its STAR alumnus in 1996.
Career
Chu returned home to
Taipei to start an export business with friends, but they lost all their money in one and a half years. He then returned to the United States, and working under a large company, he designed jackets, taking inspiration from sailors' coats.
Barneys and
Bloomingdales
Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the business. It became a div ...
had good sales for the designs, and in 1983
Nautica was born. The company had sales of $700,000 in its first year and $2.5 million the following year.
In 2003, Chu sold the company for $1 billion to
VF Corporation. He made $100 million from the sale.
Chu promptly purchased an 1846 townhouse in Manhattan's
Flatiron district, gut-renovated the historic mansion and turned it into his design studio, showroom and offices.
In 2006, he created the exclusive ''David Chu Bespoke'' line, offering custom suits hand-made in Italy with fabrics from the world's finest mills. The bespoke line is available in a richly-appointed atelier located in the penthouse of the "Townhouse."
Recently, he started another label, a designer sportswear collection called "LINCS by David Chu," that offers a modern take on tradition and the well-lived life.
Currently, LINCS can be found in select
Lord & Taylor,
The Bay, Dillard's, Nordstrom, the BAY Oakridge in Vancouver, and other specialty stores.
From 2006 to 2009, Chu was the executive creative director at luggage and accessories maker
Tumi, Inc.
In July 2009, Chu formed partnership with golf player
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
to develop the Nicklaus brands worldwide.
In November 2012, Chu bought Danish brand
Georg Jensen A/S with Investcorp. He currently is Chairman of the board and Creative Director.
Personal life
Chu resides in
New York City.
See also
*
Taiwanese in New York City
References
External links
*
Asian American Profiles: David Chuat GoldSea.com
*
Chu: Celebrated Entrepreneur and Designer''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, David
1955 births
Living people
American chief executives of fashion industry companies
American fashion businesspeople
Businesspeople from New York City
Taiwanese emigrants to the United States
Members of Committee of 100
Menswear designers
Flatiron District