Forever 21 plans to close all its stores before May 1, having lost its way in the world of fast fashion.
The retailer, a pioneer in the world of cheap, mass-produced trendy clothing, lost ground to the Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu.
During a hearing on March 25, lawyers for F21 OpCo, Forever 21’s holding company, said 354 leased stores will be shuttered.
The loss of retailers from America’s malls hasn’t gone unnoticed by college students.
“When I first found out Forever 21 was closing, I was upset because it felt like I was losing an important part of my childhood,” Abbey May, an architecture major at Texas A&M University, said. “My friends and I loved Forever 21 for their fun, affordable outfits, whether for school events or Halloween.”
Forever 21 started in 1984; the company had more than $4 billion in annual sales at its peak. Stores offered a variety of clothing and accessories, including tops, jeans, skirts, loungewear, jewelry and purses.
Teenagers and young adults who wanted to stay on-trend without spending much money were driven towards the store.
“Forever 21 was very nostalgic because that is where my friends used to go and shop, and we would look forward to getting new items each week,” Lauren Thompson, a sophomore strategic communication major, said.

This is the second time Forever 21 has filed for bankruptcy. It had been looking for a buyer for months but had found no viable offers.
“When I was younger, I used to shop at Forever 21 because it was popular at the time, but as I got older, the environment started to feel chaotic,” Kyra Gregory, a sophomore criminal justice major, said. “The stores became disorganized, and the clothes just weren’t as appealing or well-made as they used to be.”
Although the Forever 21 operating company will be gone, the international stores and the websites will still operate.
“I haven’t shopped at Forever 21 in years, but seeing it close down is still bittersweet; it was such a staple growing up and finding your style,” Ava Delgado, a sophomore environmental science major, said.