Forever 21 is finally closing after years of battling bankruptcy. These past weeks, they have been putting everything on sale, even their equipment. Each day that passes, the sales increase from 50% to 80% in just three days. On the last day, everything was free. Why is Forever One closing? Well, there are multiple reasons, but one big one is not making any more profit. The first reason is that online stores like Temu and Shien have the same quality of clothes, so everyone goes online because it is faster and cheaper without leaving the house. Another reason is social media, the influencers are making it a trend to go thrift, for affordable, quality clothes. And going thrift is recycling clothes so it’s better for the earth. Cancel Culture is calling out anyone who is giving money to fast fashion companies like Forever 21 and Shein. But unlike Shien, Forever 21 has more reasons for going out of business. The last reason is that Forever 21 has lots of stores across the USA which means those paychecks and rent there give away, which also contributes to the decline in profit. About 92 million tons of textile waste, including fast fashion clothing, are produced each year, with most ending up in landfills. “Lucy Duera a frequent Forever 21 shopper, explains that the quality of the clothes is very cheap and low quality.”
Forever 21 was founded in 1984 by Do Won Chang and his wife, Jin Sook Chang, in Los Angeles, California. Originally named Fashion 21, it targeted the Korean American community before expanding rapidly. The brand became known for trendy, affordable clothing appealing to young shoppers. By the early 2000s, Forever 21 was a major force in fast fashion, opening stores worldwide. However, competition, changing trends, and retail challenges led to financial struggles. In 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed many stores globally. It was later acquired and restructured, continuing operations under new ownership, focusing on digital growth. Makalah Johnson 12th grade said, “Forever 21 feels like it has been in my life forever, which technically it has, but that was the go-to place I would go for school shopping, so to see it closing down is very surprising and sad.”
Forever 21 has been through lots of legal battles throughout its years. It all started in 2017 when both Adidas and Gucci sued them for copyright infringement. Both companies claim that Forever 21 was copying their three-stripe design for Adidas, the case was settled, but for Gucci, forever 21 counter-sued. In 2018, they were hit with another sue, but this one was about a Music Licensing issue. They were saddlery playing unlicensed music in the stores. In 2019, they filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, but in 202, they got some help from Authentic Brand Group, Simon Property Group, And Brookfield Property Group. But despite the efforts in March 2025, they filed for Chapter 111 Bankruptcy again but this time no one is saving Aeriss Brown 12th. “I’m going to miss it. The store was cheap and easy if you needed a quick outfit.”
Forever 21 closing down shows how much the world of shopping has changed. It used to be one of the most popular places for cheap, trendy clothes, but it couldn’t keep up. Online stores like Temu and Shein are faster and cheaper, and more people care about the environment and where their clothes come from. Thrifting is the new trend, and fast fashion just isn’t as cool anymore. Even though Forever 21 tried to come back after going bankrupt, it didn’t work out. Now that it’s officially shutting down, it’s clear that times have changed—and Forever 21 couldn’t change with them.
