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| Company type | Private[1] |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothing, real estate, agriculture, maritime, and aviation |
| Founded | 1969; 56 years ago (1969) (as Jordache Jeans Inc.) 1978 (1978) (incorporated)[1] |
| Founders | Joseph "Joe" Nakash Abraham "Avi" Nakash Raphael "Ralph" Nakash[1] |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide, with significant United States andIsrael involvement |
| Revenue | ~$413 million (2016)[1] |
| Owner | Nakash (Naccache) family |
| Subsidiaries | Major subsidiaries:
|
| Website | Jordache (clothing line) Jordache (corporate page) |
Jordache Enterprises, Inc. (/ˈdʒɔːrdæʃ/) is an Americanclothing company that marketsapparel, includingshirts,jeans, andouterwear.[1] The brand is known for itsdesigner jeans that were popular in the late1970s and early1980s. Since the 2000s, Jordache has also diversified into real estate in the United States and other ventures inIsrael. The brand name Jordache is a contraction of Joe, Ralph, and Avi Nakash.
Jordache originated in 1978, when brothersJoe, Ralph, and Avi Nakash opened a denim store inNew York City.[1][2] Inspired by European fashions, the brothers had developed a collection. Business expanded over the years, until a fire destroyed their inventory during theNew York City blackout of 1977.[1] In 1978, they officially began to manufacture and distribute denim under their own label, known as Jordache,[1] with form-fitting silhouettes for both men and women, a horse-head logo and back pocket stitching.
To differentiate their brand, the brothers invested one quarter of their annual sales volume ($300,000 of their own money and $250,000 in loans) into an aggressive 1979ad campaign.[1] Jordache produced a television commercial starring an apparentlytopless woman in tight Jordache jeans riding a horse through surf.[1][3] The ad was rejected by all three major United States television networks, but independent New York stations aired it, and Jordache increased significantly in popularity.[1][3] Later, an additional one million dollars was spent on advertising, including full-color advertisements in magazines circulated nationally in the United States.[1] One promotional gimmick that did not work out was the Jordache blimp, a poorly designed airship that crashed on October 8, 1980, atLakehurst, New Jersey, on its maiden flight. It wasen route to a promotional gala and crashed 43 years after theHindenburg airship disaster in the same city.[4]
In the1980s, the company expanded its reach with expansivelicensing that generated up to $300 million per year of wholesale income.[1] In 1989, the company had 100 licensees, manufacturing products as varied as children's socks, women's outerwear, jewelry, dresses, luggage, and umbrellas.[1]
Today, Jordache Enterprises is a privately held conglomerate. The company designs and manufactures a wide variety of denim, apparel and accessories. In 2018, Jordache unveiled a premium denim collection in celebration of the brand's 40th anniversary.[5]
The brands owned by Jordache Enterprises include: Jordache,Earl Jeans,KIKIT Jeans,Maurice Sasson,Fubu Ladies,Airport,Blue Star, andGasoline. Jordache is an official licensee of theU.S. Polo Assn. brand.[6] Jordache Enterprises also manufactures private label denim for companies worldwide.
Through the initial proceeds from the Jordache label, the Nakash brothers have expanded into Jordache Enterprises, Inc., with interests in real estate, hospitality, aviation, high-tech cryptography, maritime ventures, and agriculture. Among its more notable holdings beyond its namesake brand are real estate holdings inNew York City, The Setai Miami inMiami, hotels throughoutEurope andIsrael, part of theStrip House restaurant chain, management of thePort of Eilat following its privatization,Arkia, Israel's second largest airline, and MG Aviation, an aircraft leasing firm with aircraft under lease toNorwegian Air Shuttle and eventually Arkia.[7] Jordache Enterprises has two separate boards—one comprising six Nakashes and an outside board with 10 non-family members. Each male member of the second generation is highly specialized and has a nominal responsibility.[citation needed]
