Two decades after David Chu founded Nautica in 1983, VF Corp. scooped up the company for $680 million. (Chu, who left the following year, pocketed $100 million from the deal.) He has since launched a men's line and a bespoke suit shop, both under his own name. In January, Chu became creative director at Tumi, where he's refreshing the luggage maker's look and attempting to boost its accessories business.
Photographed in his Manhattan custom-tailoring shop
The Brand Builder
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