Beyond the cotton

One Los Angeles-based clothing manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer isn’t just interested in selling t-shirts. American Apparel Inc. is also interested in sex, immigration issues and paying their employees higher wages. CEO, creative director and founder Dov Charney has created a new, controversial face for basic clothing around the world and the consumer appears to approve.

American Apparel Inc.’s work environment, sexy ad campaigns and comfortable wares make them appeal to both the employee and the consumer. But there’s more to it than what meets the eye and the sewing needle.

The company, which manufactures mostly solid-color clothing, for the purpose of wholesaling, silkscreening and their own retail, was first founded in Canada by Charney, a Montreal native, and moved to Los Angeles in 1997. American Apparel is a vertically-integrated company, which means Charney controls all phases of production. In 2004, Charney told the Los Angeles Business Journal, “I want to create a new platform for the future. It’s less about sweatshop-free because that sounds like charity. It’s more about a program of efficiency that dwarfs full capitalism and creates the new form of capitalism.”


American Apparel’s racy advertisements, which usually feature young women wearing no more than a little fabric in positions not designed for yoga, turn heads. The ads feature women who Charney says he often approaches on the street who are not professional models. The women wear either little or not makeup and no retouching is applied to the photo, giving off a raw sexual vibe. On the American Apparel website, there is a link devoted solely to “provocative ads.” (http://americanapparel.net/presscenter/ads/) Charney told the New York Times (reported by ABC News) that his advertisements, which he often photographs himself, are his way of recognizing “contemporary adult and sexual freedom.” American Apparel can prove that sex sells. In 2006, the company made over $300 million in sales. The retail chain has stores in 14 countries around the world including the U.S., Israel, Japan, France, Canada, Mexico, Germany, U.K. and more.


Not only has American Apparel’s sexually charged advertisements gathered media attention, but Charney’s eccentric and sexual behavior as well. Charney claims to have slept with employees. He has also photographed himself nearly naked for advertisement purposes, however the ads never ran. It is also reported that he masturbated several times while being interviewed by a reporter from Jane magazine. (Los Angeles Times) Charney acknowledges that he has appeared in his underwear in front of employees. (Los Angeles Times)

In 2005, 3 women filed sexual harassment suits against him, 2 of which were dismissed and one settled. Another case was just recently filed against Charney by a former employee and is being processed. Mary Nelson, 36, claims Charney conducted business dressed only in his underwear and used words such as “sluts” to refer to women. Nelson claims that she was fired when she consulted a lawyer. Charney’s lawyers said in court documents that “American Apparel is a sexually charged workplace where employees of both genders deal with sexual conduct, speech and images as part of their jobs.” (Los Angeles Times)


Charney has made a voice for American Apparel on immigration issues. In late 2007, American Apparel placed an ad in the New York Times that supports the integration of undocumented workers. It says, “At what point are we going to recognize that status quo amounts to an apartheid system? At what point will America stop living in a state of denial?...At American Apparel we support out workers. We support out community. We support Los Angeles. We support the pride of America and the American Dream…Enough is enough. It’s time to Legalize LA, and Legalize the USA.”A large banner with “Legalize LA” hangs from the Los Angeles factory.


American Apparel Inc. owns the largest garment factory in the U.S. at 800,000 square feet. The company employs more than 7,000 people worldwide. Their average hourly wage for employees in 2007 was $12. Charney told the Los Angeles Business Journal because he pays his employees a higher hourly wage than most places he gets better workers.

Charney may be supportive of immigrant workers and relatively good pay and other benefits, however, in the past, he has squashed the opportunity for his employees to unionize. In September of 2003, workers at the Los Angeles factory tried to organize a union with UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees). Charney, who is known to see unions as obstacles, launched an anti-union campaign, although he had told the media in the past he would never interfere with the organization of employees. Charney even threatened to shut down the plant if the workers organized. The move never materialized after fear and intimidation tactics. (Knowmore.org) Charney told the Los Angeles Business Journal that “his ability to oversee nearly every aspect of his operation allows for rapid changes in design and order volume.”

Charney told the Journal, “Either I’m delusional or we’re going to change America.”

Some think Charney is a revolutionary for his sweatshop-free company and business approach, while others view him simply as a pervert for his uber-sexual advertisements (which he often photographs) and his provocative demeanor.

Whether Charney is changing America is up for further discussion; however, for now, he is at least turning heads, proving that sex does sell.



WORKS CITED

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=2257111
http://www.kempa.com/blog/images/outrage.gif
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