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The North Face

The North Face

The North Face is a San Francisco-based company founded in 1966 by Douglas Tompkins.

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Contents

thenorthface.com
thenorthface.nl
Is a
Company
Company
Organization
Organization

Company attributes

Industry
Fashion
Fashion
Clothing
Clothing
‌
Fashion house
Retail
Retail
Heated clothing
Heated clothing
Location
San Francisco
San Francisco
France
France
Denver
Denver
B2X
B2C
B2C
Founder
Douglas Tompkins
Douglas Tompkins
‌
Susie Tompkins Buell
Parent Organization
VF Corporation
VF Corporation
INTERTOP
INTERTOP
Subsidiary
Banana Republic
Banana Republic
Date Incorporated
1968
Number of Employees (Ranges)
1,001 – 5,000
Email Address
endurancechallenge@publicishawkeye.com
Phone Number
+18555008639
+18559098267
Full Address
1551 Wewatta Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, US
CIK Number
51,513
Place of Incorporation
Norway
Norway
Founded Date
1966
0
Competitors
Diesel
Diesel
United Colors of Benetton
United Colors of Benetton
Puma
Puma
Armani
Armani
Kappa
Kappa
Juicy Couture
Juicy Couture
Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
...
Glassdoor ID
5945
NAICS Code
4,545,211
Legal Entity Identifier
549300K5XXNIE78F90050
Country
United States
United States
Headquarters
San Francisco
San Francisco

Other attributes

Company Operating Status
Active
Contact Page URL
thenorthface.com/help.html
Wikidata ID
Q152784

The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1968 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park. By the late 1990s, the label had expanded beyond outdoor enthusiasts by focusing on street couture and since the 2000s it is regarded as a streetwear style symbol label. In 2000, it was bought by VF Corporation.

History

The North Face began in 1968 as a climbing equipment retail store in San Francisco, founded by Douglas Tompkins and his wife, Susie Tompkins. It was acquired two years later by Kenneth "Hap" Klopp.

The North Face takes its company logo from a stylised drawing of Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park.

In 2000, The North Face was acquired by VF Corporation in a deal worth US$25.4 million and became a wholly owned subsidiary.

In December 2008, The North Face filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against The South Butt, its creator James A. Winkelmann Jr., and a company that handled the firm's marketing and manufacturing. In the legal action, The North Face alleged trademark infringement and sought injunctive relief. After the court ordered mediation in the case, the parties reached a closed settlement agreement on April 1, 2010; however, in October 2012, Winkelmann admitted in court that he and his father violated the settlement agreement with The North Face and agreed to pay US$65,000, an amount that will be reduced by US$1,000 for every month of compliance.

In May 2019, Leo Burnett Tailor Made, a marketing agency for The North Face Brazil, revealed that they had surreptitiously replaced photos of popular outdoor destinations on Wikipedia with photos featuring persons wearing North Face products in an attempt to get these products to appear more prominently in search engine results. Following widespread media coverage and criticism from the Wikimedia Foundation, The North Face apologized for the campaign, ended it, and the product placement was undone.

The company was previously headquartered in Alameda, California, co-located with its corporate sibling, JanSport. In 2020, the company's headquarters relocated to Denver, Colorado.

Fashion

By 1997, purchasers of North Face attire had expanded beyond those looking for technical clothing for skiing, climbing, and other outdoor pursuits to rappers in New York City, but remained only a small part of the company's business.

In 2005, wearers of the North Face attire became the targets of robbery in Prince George's County, Maryland. A similar trend occurred in South Korea in the early 2010s where it became a status symbol, resulting in children being bullied or having their North Face apparel stolen.

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