‘American Apparel is an industrial revolution’

 

American Apparel was first founded by the somewhat controversial Dov Charney in 1998, since then the company has continuously grown in to a successful global business.  The business originally began as a wholesale, selling blank T-shirts to screen printers, and fashion brands, American Apparel then went on to open their first retail store in 2003. The company’s expansion into retail was ‘‘the fastest retail roll out in American history’’ (Dov Charney, 2007). American Apparel now has over 200 stores around the world. The company is vertically integrated, managing to design, manufacture, distribute and market all of their products from their base in Los Angeles, California. This vertically integrated business plan has lead to success for the company as they are now able to pride themselves on avoiding outsourcing and their ability to achieve a fast turn around time from design idea to finished product.

 

By designing, creating and printing all of their own advertisements and marketing materials, American Apparel is able to connote the aspirations, ideologies and values of the company very clearly. Advertising campaigns are provocative and unconventional (as are a lot of American Apparel garments); rather than using models the adverts contain photographs of Dov Charney’s friends and colleagues wearing American Apparel products. The originality of the images used for marketing purposes signifies the ‘diversity American Apparel is built on’ The marketing successfully portrays American Apparel as a unique, individual and somewhat refreshing retailer within an industry where most other competitors believe that outsourcing, exploiting workers and using picture perfect models to market products is the only route to success.

 

Throughout the company’s journey Charney has continuously has picked up titles such as ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (2004) due to the company’s rapid growth rates and ethical policies. Such rewarding titles have however been juxtaposed, as Dov himself has become somewhat infamous for his behavior within the company, he has faced numerous lawsuits in regards to sexual harassment charges from employees and reports have detailed him running around the office in his underwear, such acts may seem unusual and uncalled for from such a successful new businessman however there is no denying that his  persona has only added to the brand’s erotic image, creating room to question; is he really the sexual exhibitionist that the media paint him as or quite simply, a marketing genius?.

 

Make what you will of Mr.Charney but there is no questioning that his charisma and originality have contributed significantly to the growing success of American Apparel, after all there is no such thing as bad publicity, right?

Words by Hayley Williams. Images from American Apparel.

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