David Chu was born in Taiwan and studied fashion design at F.I.T. Initially, because he loved sketching and drawing, he thought he would study architecture, advertising, or communication, however, a summer course on fashion history at F.I.T. led him to take an interest in fashion. He ended up traveling to Asia and upon his return, landed a job at the apparel company Kayser-Roth. From this, he learned a lot about the industry, and after five years, decided to found his own company, Nautica, in 1983. The company’s relaxed nautical concept was inspired by his travels to the islands and was designed for an active outdoor lifestyle. Chu feels fortunate to have entered the industry very early in the eighties when there weren't many Asian designers but thinks that it is great that the field has attracted many young Asian talents over the past ten to fifteen years.