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Before the Mall: The Original Abercrombi...

About this episode

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abercrombie & Fitch once ruled shopping malls in the 1990s and early 2000s, but its story began long before loud music and cologne. Founded in 1892 in New York City, the company started as an elite outfitter for explorers, presidents, and world-class outdoorsmen. Historian Ashley Hlebinsky traces the brand’s forgotten origins, from supplying Theodore Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart to becoming one of the most famous clothing labels in America.

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