The Hollister Co. brand was launched in 2000. Abercrombie & Fitch introduced the concept as a new retail brand inspired by Southern California surf culture and aimed primarily at high-school students.
The first Hollister store opened on July 27, 2000, at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. Four additional test stores followed in Overland Park, Kansas; Buford, Georgia; Canoga Park, California; and Paramus, New Jersey.
One source of confusion is Hollister’s fictional brand mythology. The company promoted a made-up backstory involving a supposed founder named John Hollister and a 1922 California origin. In reality, the retail brand was created by Abercrombie & Fitch in Ohio in 2000.
The year 2000 is thus the canonical answer for the brand’s launch and founding, even though some merchandise has displayed 1999 as part of its fictional or stylized heritage story. The distinction is between marketing mythology and the company’s documented history.