In 1982, Daryle Scott, IBMengineer and MBA student, and three other investors created a mail order apparel company that focused in competitive body suits.[7] In 1984, Scott created Venus Body Wear,[7] an American clothing and swimsuit retailer, selling ladies' leotards and exercise apparel via full-page advertisements in Cosmopolitan and other national magazines. A year later, the company expanded to include women’s swimwear and became known as Venus Swimwear.[7] In 1998, the company opened its first retail store on the first level of the shopping mall, Jacksonville Landing.[8] The store was located near The Body Shop and Foot Locker.[8] During this time the company already had a Venus Factory Outlet on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville.[8]
In 1999, Venus acquired WinterSilks, a large importer of silk fashions. In 2000, reflecting the expanded offerings, the company name changed to Venus. In November 2006, Venus, Venus Manufacturing, and WinterSilks, were acquired 80% by Golden Gate Capital, under their Catalog Holdings Group. The three companies fell under a new, united company name, Venus Holdings, LLC. In 2007, Venus opened three new retail stores, including one at shopping mall Coconut Point in Estero.[9][10] In 2009, Venus Holdings was acquired by the German catalog company Bon Prix, a subsidiary of Otto.[2][11]
As of 2018, the company employs nearly 1,000 people, 600 of which work at the headquarters in Jacksonville, 300 people work at the distribution center and approximately 50 people work at a Venus fashion design office in Boca Raton.[12] In September 2020, Venus announced that it is permanently laying off 120 jobs at its distribution center as part of a plan to open a second distribution facility on the west coast.[13][14][15]
Venus has held an annual Venus Model Search since 1989.[17] Venus Swimwear Model Search was documented in the fifth episode of the first season of HDNet's reality series Bikini Destinations in 2003.
Collaborations
Model and actress Brooke Burke created a swimwear line with Venus
In 2002, actress and model Brooke Burke created a swimwear line called Barely Brooke with Venus. In June 2020, Venus Fashion launched a swimwear line with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.[18][19][20] The collaboration featured nearly 40 items, including long-sleeved one-pieces, tie-dye, neon, color-block and animal print swimwear and cover-ups.[21] The pieces were priced between $85 and $140, and sold online. Select pieces from the collection were featured in the 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.[18]
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