Forever 21 was founded in 1984 in Los Angeles by Korean immigrants Do Won Chang and Jin Sook Chang. It grew to over 700 stores worldwide by 2011, though filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and closed over 300 stores. Originally targeting the Korean American community, it expanded to men's and plus sizes clothing sold in stores and online. However, it faced numerous lawsuits over alleged copyright infringement and criticisms over some of its clothing slogans. Workplace safety issues and underpayment of suppliers were also controversies faced by the company.