If you still think of Abercrombie & Fitch as that dark, cologne-soaked cave where shirtless guys stood at the door, you're living in 2012. Honestly, most people are. They remember the scandals, the "cool kids only" quotes from the former leadership, and the loud music that made it impossible to hear yourself think. But the reality of the Abercrombie and Fitch CEO today is a completely different story.
Fran Horowitz didn't just walk into a struggling retailer when she took the top job in 2017. She walked into a house on fire. The brand was literally voted the "most hated retailer in America" the year before she took over. People weren't just bored of the clothes; they were actively rooting for the company to fail.
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Fast forward to 2026, and the narrative has flipped so hard it's giving Wall Street whiplash. Under Horowitz, the company has seen twelve consecutive quarters of growth as of late 2025. In fact, in 2023, the stock actually outperformed NVIDIA. Think about that. A mall brand outpaced the global leader in AI chips.
The Fran Horowitz Era: More Than Just a Rebrand
When we talk about the Abercrombie and Fitch CEO, we’re talking about a retail veteran who spent decades at places like Bloomingdale's and Ann Taylor Loft. She didn't come in with a flashy, "disruptive" tech background. She came in with a "listen to the person actually buying the pants" background.
One of the funniest, most telling stories about her leadership involves zippers. For years, Abercrombie only sold men's jeans with button flies. It was a brand "thing." Customers kept telling the company, "Hey, we hate these. Give us a zipper." The old regime ignored them because "the brand" was more important than the customer's convenience.
Horowitz changed it to zippers. Denim sales skyrocketed.
It sounds stupidly simple, right? But that’s the core of why she’s succeeded where others failed. She stopped trying to tell customers who they should be and started making clothes for who they actually are.
Why the Pivot to "Millennial" Worked
For a long time, Abercrombie and its sister brand, Hollister, were basically the same store with different price tags. They both chased 16-year-olds. Horowitz made a massive strategic call to split them up.
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- Hollister: Stayed the destination for Gen Z and teens.
- Abercrombie & Fitch: Aged up to target 25-to-40-year-olds.
This was brilliant. The people who wore the brand in high school (and eventually grew to hate it) were now looking for wedding guest dresses, work-appropriate blazers, and jeans that actually fit an adult body. By launching the Curve Love line, which accounted for a huge chunk of their viral success on TikTok, they addressed a massive gap in the market: clothes for people with hips.
What Really Happened With the Stock?
If you look at the numbers for the 2025 fiscal year, the growth is pretty staggering. Net sales hit a record $1.3 billion in the third quarter alone. However, being a Abercrombie and Fitch CEO isn't all sunshine and record-breaking quarters. Just this month, in January 2026, the stock took a hit after the company narrowed its growth forecast to "at least 6%."
Investors are jittery. There are $90 million in projected tariff impacts looming, and the company is spending heavily on a "digital revolution"—basically an aggressive push into AI-powered productivity and international expansion.
The market's reaction? A 17% drop in share price at one point this month.
It’s a classic retail trap. You perform so well for three years that the moment you're "only" growing at 6% instead of 10%, everyone panics. But Horowitz seems to have a "block out the noise" philosophy. She recently received the NRF Visionary 2026 award, and during her fireside chat in New York, she was blunt: "Retail is a journey. There is no finish line."
Dealing With the Ghost of Mike Jeffries
You can't talk about the current Abercrombie and Fitch CEO without acknowledging the shadow of the man who came before her. Mike Jeffries ran the show for 22 years. He was the one who built the "exclusive" image that eventually became toxic.
The contrast is night and day.
While Jeffries was recently indicted on federal charges related to sex trafficking—events that allegedly took place during his tenure—Horowitz has had to perform a sort of corporate exorcism. She didn't just change the clothes; she changed the hiring practices, the store layouts (goodbye, windowless shutters), and the entire internal culture.
She's moved the brand from "elitism" to "authenticity." Instead of using supermodels who look like they've never eaten a carb, the marketing now features diverse bodies and even the company's own employees.
The International "Always Forward" Strategy
So, what’s next? If you’re following the Abercrombie and Fitch CEO's playbook, you’re looking at London and Shanghai.
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Currently, about 80% of their business is in North America. That’s a lot of eggs in one basket. Horowitz is pushing hard into the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and APAC (Asia-Pacific) markets. They’ve opened offices in London and Shanghai to make sure they aren't just shipping American styles overseas, but actually understanding those local customers.
They are also leaning into partnerships. You’re seeing licensed Abercrombie kids' clothes and eyewear popping up. It’s a shift from "we do everything ourselves" to "let's partner with experts to scale faster."
Actionable Insights for the Modern Shopper (or Investor)
If you're looking at this brand today, there are a few things you should keep in mind. The turnaround is real, but the "easy" growth phase might be over as they hit global headwinds.
- Check the "Curve Love" line: If you’ve struggled with denim fit, this is the product that saved the company. It’s engineered with an extra 2 inches through the hip and thigh.
- Watch the International Expansion: If you’re an investor, the success or failure of the Shanghai and London hubs will determine if this stock can climb back toward its 52-week high of $137.
- Appreciate the Transparency: Unlike the old days of "no comment" and mystery, the current leadership is incredibly vocal about their "burrito bets"—small, low-risk trials they run before rolling out massive changes.
The Abercrombie and Fitch CEO has managed to do the impossible: make a "uncool" brand the hottest ticket on the S&P 500. It wasn't through some magical tech fix. It was through the unglamorous work of listening to people complain about their buttons and actually doing something about it.
To stay ahead of the brand's evolution, keep an eye on their quarterly "Always Forward" updates. They often signal which product categories—like the recent push into "wedding shop" collections—are about to get the most marketing muscle.