The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Fashion & Beauty

The disturbing truth about American Apparel

The disturbing truth about American Apparel
2 December 2012
Sasha Hilton
Avatar
Sasha Hilton
2 December 2012

American Apparel is an internationally known brand, founded in 1989 by Dov Charney. The brand has approximately 11,300 employees and has an average net income of $39.31 million. With an escalating fan base and a thought to be “good ethos”, one may think that American Apparel is the new way forward in fashion.

The company has been praised in the past as being “sweatshop free” and promoting “fair wages”. Moreover, many women are fans of the brand, seeing as they don’t use the typical size-zero models in their campaign. Instead, they use women of all looks and sizes, and choose not to materialise the brand through using the technique of airbrushing. 

No wonder American Apparel is hailed for being such a perfect vision of what fashion should be. However, what happens when the truth about this famous brand comes out? What happens when it’s revealed that they have been raided for illegal workers, criticised for pornographic adverts and accused of prejudiced practices? What happens when the fans find out that an immoral man who has been declared “sex-crazed” owns the company? The perfectly painted fortune is not all as it seems; it turns out there are aspects of the brand darker than the bright colours we all see on the shop floor.

The truth about American Apparel began to untie after a number of ex-employees filed lawsuits against the company itself, and more personally, the chairman and CEO, Dov Charney. In fact, there have been four different cases of sexual harassment, filed by past female employees. If this doesn’t seem disheartening and corrupt enough, then it is also important to take a look at the real side to Dov Charney.

Charney has what one would refer to as a rather unconventional lifestyle. He has been caught masturbating in front of reporters and turning up to formal meetings in nothing other than his underwear. The CEO himself embraces this so called “rich” lifestyle, and refuses to hold back what he feels like doing – even if that does include condoning sex between him and his employees.

Another aspect of the brand, which serves as a shock, is the campaign advertisements. American Apparel’s recent campaigns have been referred to as soft pornography; the fact that the brand preaches out to audiences of all ages makes this aspect the most shocking. It seems that Charney’s love for women in leotards posing provocatively is his way of making the brand unique.

The underlying shock about American Apparel cannot be commented on without debate. Tell us what you think is the truth about the brand. Will you be buying from Charney’s erotic company again? Do you think the campaigns are a way of pushing fashion forward?

Sasha Hilton

Related Items

More in Fashion & Lifestyle

Ladies’ fashion: Seven wardrobe staples for summer

Rosie Davis
Read More

Kensington’s newest hair salon: Jamie Stevens Hair

Rosie Davis
Read More

Spring beauty: The new beauty launches to try this spring

Rosie Davis
Read More

Unmissable Easter collections for 2022: Lush

Rosie Davis
Read More

Eight homeware pieces we’re obsessed with this spring

Sophie Cook
Read More

Seven fun activities for a memorable Mother’s Day

Sophie Cook
Read More

Mother’s Day gift guide 2022

Rosie Davis
Read More

London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2022 roundup

Sophie Cook
Read More

Trends to expect from the autumn/winter fashion weeks 2022

Sally Wijers
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Plan 75
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • More than Ever (Plus que Jamais)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Lykke Li – EYEYE
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Moonage Daydream
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Stephen Fry enters the Radio Times Hall of Fame in conversation with Alan Yentob at the BFI Imax
    Cinema & Tv
  • Layering masters: How to make authentically delicious lasagne
    Food & Drinks
  • The Five Devils (Les Cinq Diables)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • “Love is a relationship between two people where they show who they really are”: Press conference with the team behind Decision to Leave
    Cannes
  • Moonage Daydream
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Crimes of the Future
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Boy from Heaven (Walad Min Al Janna)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • The Princess of Shoreditch in Shoreditch: “Ruth Hansom will only cook with the freshest and finest”
    Food & Drinks
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Children’s charity The Joshua Foundation launches Fashion 4 A Cause pop-up shop
How to dazzle at the office Christmas party this year