VF Corporation
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel and footwear |
| Predecessor | Vanity Fair Mills |
| Founded | October 1899 |
| Founder | John Barbey |
| Headquarters | Denver, Colorado , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Bracken Darrell (CEO, 2023–present), Steve Rendle (former CEO), Eric C. Wiseman (former CEO) |
| Products | Apparel, footwear, backpacks |
Number of employees | Around 17,000 (Kontoor Brands, related spinoff) |
| Website | www |
VF Corporation—originally known as Vanity Fair Mills until 1969—is a multinational American enterprise specializing in apparel and footwear. Established in 1899 by John Barbey, the company is currently headquartered in Denver, Colorado. VF organizes its 11 brands into three primary categories: Outdoor, Active, and Work. By 2015, the company held a dominant 55% share of the U.S. backpack market through key subsidiaries such as JanSport, Eastpak, Timberland, and The North Face.
History
The origins of VF Corporation trace back to October 1899 when John Barbey and partners launched the Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company in Reading, Pennsylvania. Officially incorporated in December with a capital investment of $11,000, operations began in a modest leased facility.
By 1913, the firm diversified into silk lingerie, rebranding itself as Schuylkill Silk Manufacturing, with its lingerie products marketed under the Vanity Fair label. Subsequent renaming to Vanity Fair Mills preceded the company's public offering in 1951.
In 1969, the acquisition of the H.D. Lee Company (now known as Lee) prompted a corporate identity change to VF Corporation. By 1982, VF reported earnings of $15.5 million on revenues totaling $184 million. The purchase of Blue Bell Inc. in 1986 for $762 million brought prominent brands such as Wrangler, JanSport, and Red Kap into its portfolio, effectively doubling the company’s scale and securing a 25% share of the global denim market.
The corporate headquarters relocated from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania to Greensboro, North Carolina in 1998 to better align with operational activities. The decade also saw VF acquiring Bulwark Apparel.
During the early 2000s, VF expanded by acquiring brands including The North Face, Eastpak, Kipling, Napapijri, and Vans. In 2007, it divested its 'Vanity Fair Intimates' lingerie division for $350 million while simultaneously purchasing Eagle Creek, Majestic Athletic, and premium denim labels such as 7 for all Mankind and Lucy Activewear for $885 million.
Eric C. Wiseman assumed the roles of CEO and chairman in 2008, coinciding with VF’s acquisition of Mo Industries Holdings—the parent company of Splendid and Ella Moss. In 2011, VF further broadened its outdoor segment by acquiring Timberland for $2.2 billion.
Between 2012 and 2013, VF Imagewear secured substantial contracts to provide uniforms for personnel at U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the Transportation Security Administration.
Steve Rendle was appointed CEO and president in 2017. That same year, VF acquired Williamson-Dickie’s portfolio, including Dickies and Workrite brands. In 2018, Icebreaker was added to complement the existing Smartwool brand. The acquisition of streetwear leader Supreme for $2.1 billion followed in 2020.
In 2021, VF divested a portion of its Occupational Work segment to Redwood Capital Investments; these brands were consolidated under Workwear Outfitters. Later that year, former VF executive Travis Campbell purchased Eagle Creek.
Bracken Darrell—formerly CEO of Logitech—was named VF CEO in June 2023. In July 2024, VF announced an agreement to sell Supreme to EssilorLuxottica for $1.5 billion.
Spinoff
In August 2018, VF Corporation revealed plans to split into two entities. The jeans brands and outlet stores were separated into Kontoor Brands, while VF retained ownership of its sports apparel and footwear divisions. Concurrently, it relocated approximately 800 employees along with its corporate headquarters to an eleven-story office building at 1551 Wewatta Street near Denver Union Station in Denver, Colorado. This consolidation brought together previously dispersed divisional offices such as Jansport under one roof.
Kontoor Brands Inc., which began trading under the ticker KTB in May 2019, encompasses labels including Lee, Wrangler, Rock & Republic, and VF Outlets, employing around 17,000 individuals.
Brands
The following list indicates the brands owned by the company, with the year of acquisition or merger noted in parentheses.
- JanSport (1986)
- The North Face (2000)
- Eastpak (2000)
- Napapijri (2004)
- Vans (2004)
- Kipling (2004)
- Smartwool (2011)
- Timberland (2011)
- Dickies (2017)
- Altra Running (2018)
- Icebreaker (2018)
Divested brands
Brands that have been sold off include:
- Vanity Fair lingerie, divested in 2007 to Fruit of the Loom
- 7 for All Mankind, transferred in 2016 to Delta Galil Industries
- Splendid, also sold in 2016 to Delta Galil Industries
- Ella Moss, sold in 2016 to Delta Galil Industries
- Majestic Athletic, acquired by Fanatics, Inc. in 2017
- Nautica, sold in 2018 to Authentic Brands Group
- Eagle Creek, sold in 2021 to former VF executive Travis Campbell
- Bulwark Protective Apparel, Chef Designs, Horace Small, Kodiak, Liberty, Red Kap, Terra, VF Solutions, Walls, Work Authority, and Workrite Fire Service—all divested in 2021 to Redwood Capital Investments, LLC and incorporated into Workwear Outfitters
- Supreme, sold in 2024 to EssilorLuxottica
VF Outlet, Inc.
Established in 1970 under the leadership of then-President M.O. Lee, VF Outlet was created to offer surplus merchandise from VF brands such as Berkshire International and Vanity Fair directly to customers. The inaugural factory store launched in Reading, Pennsylvania, setting a precedent for outlet mall retailing. This site, located within former Vanity Fair mill buildings, earned the nickname "Outlet Capital of the World." In 2008, the corporate identity shifted from VF Outlet Village to VF Outlet Center. Prior to closing its Reading store on December 24, 2020, VF Outlet, Inc. managed over one million square feet of retail space across more than twenty locations.
The stores primarily featured casual wear including branded denim, intimate apparel, activewear, and swimwear. By mid-2015, the company operated 79 outlets distributed throughout 31 states. As of 2025, the vfoutlet.com website redirects visitors to Kontoor Brands' Wrangler platform; numerous former VF Outlet locations have since been rebranded under Lee and Wrangler names. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted closures of these outlets, which reopened briefly at the end of 2020 for clearance sales.
In October 2013, VF Outlet ventured into online retailing. Subsequently, this business segment was transitioned to Kontoor Brands Inc., a separate entity formed in May 2019 during VF Corporation’s strategic restructuring.
Ethical sourcing
Demonstrating its dedication to responsible sourcing and sustainability initiatives, VF Corporation endorsed a letter of intent in 2025 urging the Australian wool sector to discontinue the practice of mulesing.