AG Adriano Goldschmied

AG Adriano Goldschmied is a premium denim and lifestyle apparel brand that focuses on modern jeans and everyday clothing for men and women. The line centers on denim, knitwear, wovens, and outerwear designed to work for work, travel, and casual wear, with an emphasis on clean fits, elevated fabrics, and a polished but relaxed look. The brand sells through its own stores, ecommerce site, and a broad network of better department stores and specialty boutiques.

The company was founded in 2000 in Los Angeles by longtime denim designer Adriano Goldschmied in partnership with manufacturer Yul Ku. From the start, the pair built the business around Ku’s vertically integrated production capabilities, which allowed AG to control fabric development, washes, and finishing in-house rather than relying on third parties. As the brand gained traction, a key milestone came when it moved from being known mainly for jeans into full head-to-toe collections, which helped it secure more space in major department stores and upscale boutiques across North America, Europe, and Asia. Over time, day-to-day creative and business leadership transitioned from Goldschmied to the Ku family, with Samuel Ku shaping the current design direction while continuing the original focus on quality and fit.

As of November 2024, AG Adriano Goldschmied operates about 25 branded stores, including a mix of full-price and outlet locations. These stores are concentrated in top-tier U.S. malls, fashion-oriented urban districts, and premium outlet centers, with additional presence in key coastal and gateway cities. The branded fleet is supported by a larger wholesale footprint counted in the hundreds of better department store and specialty doors, along with a sizable ecommerce business. The company remains privately held under Ku USA Inc., with active online and social channels and a steady flow of new product launches and collaborations that keep the brand visible to consumers and retail partners.

Over the past five years, AG has taken a measured approach to growth rather than rapid rollout. New stores and relocations have tended to favor higher-profile positions in leading centers, stronger visibility in coastal markets, and locations that complement existing wholesale distribution. In that period the brand has also continued to shift from a denim-only perception toward a broader lifestyle offering, using its jean business as the anchor but leaning more into tops, outerwear, and seasonally relevant categories. This evolution has helped it hold its place alongside other premium contemporary labels while remaining closely associated with high-quality denim.

AG’s vertically integrated manufacturing remains a defining feature. By owning key parts of its production, the company can manage quality, fit, and deliveries with more consistency than many peers that rely fully on third-party factories. That level of control supports stable assortments, timely floor sets, and fewer surprises in product execution, which simplifies planning for landlords and retail partners. Store formats are typically intimate, high-finish inline spaces rather than large boxes, suited to fashion-driven malls, walkable retail streets, and premium outlet centers in affluent trade areas. For owners and leasing teams looking to strengthen contemporary soft-goods offerings, AG brings an established name in premium denim, a disciplined expansion posture, and a multi-channel presence that reinforces brand awareness beyond the four walls of each store.