United States, New York

Nautica

Set on becoming an architect, David Chu had a change of heart when he took a summer drawing class at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After a failed business venture in Taipei, Chu returned home and found a job designing coats and jackets. Taking his inspiration from the sailor’s coat, Chu’s designs were received positively at Barneys and Bloomingdales which gave Chu the confidence to venture out on his own. Nautica was founded in 1983 with Chu’s first line being a collection of men's sportswear with the idea that it should capture the essence of an active, adventurous, spirited, yet refined lifestyle. The company had sales of $700,000 in its first year and $2.5 million the following year, when it was acquired by State-o-Maine, or Nautica Enterprises, Inc. as it is now known, and began to grow into the fashion empire we see today. Though Nautica launched its first men’s cologne, Nautica Cologne, in 1992 it was not until 1997 that the perfume version, Nautica for Women hit the market. Other popular men’s colognes from Nautica include Nautica Oceans, Nautica Voyage, Nautica Island Voyage as well as Nautica Blue. Women’s perfumes include My Voyage and Bermuda Blue. Nautica took its name from the Latin word nauticus - which comes from the Greek word ναυτικός - for naval and in Italian language nautica means seamanship.