The company was founded as a designer label by German fashion designer Wolfgang Joop in Hamburg, Germany, in 1986. Joop, who had been selling designer clothing under his last name since 1981, established a successful license business that eventually offered upscale womenswear, menswear, kid's clothing, accessories and home articles. To distinguish the brand from himself as an artist he added an exclamation mark to the name. A secondary denim and sportswear collection, Joop! Jeans, was created in 1988. The company is most notable for its vast fragrance range originally launched in 1987. In the mid-1990s, Joop! fragrances were introduced to the American market while its fashions were presented at New York Fashion Week and sold by American retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue.

Joop offers contemporary womenswear and menswear under the Joop! a mid-range price level primarily in the German, Austrian and Swiss markets. 

In 2020, Joop! announced it will be expanding its men's collection to the UK