What is the name of the fictional founder of Hollister Co.?

The fictional founder of Hollister Co. is named John Hollister.

Abercrombie & Fitch created a fictional backstory for Hollister Co. as part of the brand’s California-inspired identity. In that story, John Hollister, sometimes styled John Hollister Sr. or John M. Hollister, traveled from New York City to the Dutch East Indies and later settled in California.

The brand’s invented history says he established a Pacific merchant business in 1922. That narrative appeared in the company’s marketing and store atmosphere, but it was not the corporation’s real founding history. Hollister Co. actually opened its first store in 2000 at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio.

This fictional John Hollister is not William Welles Hollister, the real rancher after whom Hollister, California, was named. The clothing company also has no affiliation with the California city, despite borrowing its name and surf-oriented imagery.