FUBU's founders revived the defunct streetwear brand on licensing, not stores

FUBU — For Us, By Us — was a $350 million streetwear juggernaut with 200 freestanding stores in the late 1990s. By the 2010s it had faded in the United States, kept alive only by international licenses in countries like Japan, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Korea.

Keith Perrin, one of the four founders, took over FUBU's social media and found the brand had just three followers — which were the three founders. As fans emailed asking where to buy FUBU in the US, the founders began discussing a comeback. They ran test drops through Crepeman in Tokyo and Urban Outfitters, and sold select pieces online at full price; the hoodies sold out even in a heat wave.

That validation convinced them the brand was worth reviving. In 2019 they partnered with Century 21 on a 10-piece relaunch collection of hoodies and tees, and signed licensing deals spanning watches, underwear, women's apparel, eyewear, and later suits and workwear. The model was deliberately asset-light — FUBU would license its name rather than rebuild 200 stores.

Returned a $350M 1990s streetwear icon to retail through a Century 21 deal and licenses in eyewear, suits and more

Astonishing fan demand proved the brand still had emotional equity in the US

Relaunching on licenses let the founders capture value without the capital and risk of owned retail

The brand had kept its name alive overseas, so the international franchise was intact

Digital and social channels let the founders test the market cheaply before committing funds

The hip-hop nostalgia wave made the early-2000s aesthetic commercially timely

Nostalgia alone doesn't bring a brand back — listen to fan demand, then rebuild on licensing rather than owned stores

FUBU expanded its licensing programme steadily, launching a Scrubs and Workwear collection with licensee Green Town LLC in 2023 and being nominated for a Licensing Program of the Year award in 2022. The Brand Liaison acted as its licensing agent, and the founders kept the brand present in pop culture through FUBU Radio, which had about 200,000 listeners at the time of the relaunch. FUBU remained a licensing business rather than a retail chain.