Venus Swimwear
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| Venus Holdings, LLC. | |
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Products | Clothing Swimwear Accessories |
| Employees | 250+ |
| Website | www.venus.com |
VENUS is a retail marketer specializing in women's swimwear, fashion apparel and accessories. In addition to their mail-order catalog and online store, VENUS has one outlet store in Jacksonville, Florida, with plans to expand throughout the state in 2007.
[edit] History
In 1982, college senior Daryle Scott, launched Titan Bodybuilding, a mail-order company specializing in competitive bodybuilding suits. Daryle and three friends each invested $5,000 in the new venture, which operated out of Daryle's apartment in Jacksonville, Florida. Within five months, Titan was so successful that Daryle quit his 'day job' to devote full attention to the new company.
In 1984, Daryle created Venus Body Wear, selling ladies' leotards and exercise apparel via full-page ads in Cosmopolitan and other national magazines. A year later, the company expanded to include women’s swimwear and became known as Venus Swimwear.
In 1999, VENUS acquired WinterSilks, the world's largest importer of silk fashions, apparel, and undergarments, sold through mail-order at direct-to-consumer value prices.
Beach-inspired day & evening fashions were added in 2000. Reflecting the expanded swimwear, apparel and accessory offerings, the company name changed to VENUS. The company is now one of the world's largest retailers of fashion swimwear with annual sales of roughly $100 million.
VENUS swimwear and apparel are available only through VENUS mail-order catalogs and the Venus.com website. VENUS also operates a retail store at the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, FL. Additionally, two new retail stores are under construction in St. Petersburg and Fort Meyers, Florida.
In November 2006, VENUS, Venus Manufacturing and WinterSilks, were acquired 80% by Golden Gate Capital, under their Catalog Holdings Group. The three companies fell under a new, united company name, Venus Holdings, LLC. Golden Gate Capital is one of the largest retailers in the nation with sales in excess of $1 billion and holdings that include Spiegel, Newport News, Carabella and AB Lambdin.
In late 2006, Venus became the official swimsuit sponsor for the 2007 Miss America pageant. In preparation for the event, Venus produced their first national television commercial to air during the pageant.
[edit] Model Search
VENUS sponsored model search competitions for women around the U.S. every year to seek out spokesmen/spokesmodels with beautiful faces and shapely figures for their swimwear and fashion. Many winners have since appeared in Venus catalogs and have modeled for other advertising campaigns and catalogs. Some of the winners have posed nude for Playboy.
- VENUS' most famous model, Brooke Burke went on to host E!'s Wild On! and CBS's reality show, Rock Star. Brooke also worked with VENUS on her own line of swimwear: Barely Brooke.
- Barbie Blank: went on to become a World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler on the ECW Brand
