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Yul Ku Built the Thriving AG Jeans Brand with $3,000
By Kelli Luu | 06 Jun, 2025
After moving from Seoul to Los Angeles, Yul Ku turned his denim dreams into an empire, creating a now top-selling brand at Nordstrom.
In 1975 Yul Ku arrived in Los Angeles from Seoul with his parents and a dream. Only knowing a few words in English, he was able to teach himself what he didn’t know and ultimately became the “king of jeans”.
With so many opportunities in the United States, Yul Ku’s family brought with them their manufacturing vision from Seoul and opened a small clothing factory just three months after their arrival.
In 1985 Ku took $3,000 and the few sewing machines he had and was able to give his denim dream a start up inside a factory in Downtown LA.
His dream? To build his business through five-pocket jeans. So he created Koos Manufacturing, which is now a producer for huge fashion names like Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch.
One of Ku’s first deals was with Calvin Klein where he designed a two-piece waistband that no one else could.
In 2000 Yul Ku joined forces with Adriano Goldschmied, Italian designer who is considered the “godfather of denim”, to establish AG Jeans.
Just a few years later, Ku bought Goldschmied’s stake in AG and took on full ownership of the brand, appointing his son, Samuel Ku as creative director.
Ku and his son began to really emphasize sustainability as a brand highlight. They implemented energy efficient cloth washers and dryers that can reuse heat at their facilities.
By 2019 AG’s manufacturing headquarters were upgraded with solar panels and a water recycling system that operates almost completely on recycled water.
Today AG remains eco-friendly, prioritizing craftsmanship and forward-thinking, generating estimated annual revenues of $182.7 million.
For years now, AG has been a consistent top selling brand at Nordstrom. As a former salesperson at Nordstrom, I can tell you once a client tries on a pair, they always end up walking away with one or two.
AG continues to be a beloved family-run business on the West Coast. With Samuel Ku leading the creative vision and Yul Ku still behind the scenes, AG is mastering the denim blend of timeless, innovative, and functional.
Yul Ku’s family legacy started in a manufacturing facility in South Korea and is now in everyone’s fitting room at Nordstrom. Even in an industry that is constantly changing, Ku has always done what he does best: making premium denim with a purpose.
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