Slate.com takes on the growing American Apparel machine. The news: “American Apparel was taken over by Endeavor Acquisition Corporation, which plans to open 800 new stores around the world, in addition to the 145 that are already in existence”. The writer, Lucinda Rosenfeld, asks if the American Apparel enterprise will maintain its edge, unlike the Gap another company that soared, and then fell, on cotton basics.
Rosenfield makes three AA categories: “hideous”-chique, risque-chique* and boring-chique** (”wardrobe basics as luxury objects”). And then tries to weigh, not as successfully as the triumvirate, global economics in a couple of paragraphs. If you really care, Yahoo has an article with more speculation with numbers.
*Inspiring my personal favourite line of this piece: “body-conscious fashions for people who are younger than you and who get laid more often”. I was afraid of that.
** That’s what we stock, with an emphasis on the chique.
Ami
Dave
Their ads/photography style bug’s me a bit. I know the point is that they are suggestive but I think sometimes they over-step the mark a bit. Am I am an old man or does anyone else agree?
you’re an old man, but your opinion is valid
It’s hot…they’re ripping off Terry Richardson’s photography style, but why not?
It’s hot. The “scene” is begging for basics all around. The clothes are simplistic as are the models. The ads don’t suggest much and these days, the less cool you are, the more cool you are. If you can be as plain and careless as the models and ads represent, you’re in.