American Apparel is dead. I heard it give a final, breathy moan as a sales associate told me, “You can take home the mannequins if you want. They’re free.” (I felt almost disrespectful when I responded, “No. I’m only here for the jelly shoes.”) The company was acquired by Gildan Activewear in January for $88 million, and all of its stores must close by the end of April. Boxes of discounted panties have been arriving in the remaining stores like corpses washing ashore from a capsized SS Hipster. It’s bleak, but it’s also a great time to buy some slutty socks.
The company’s basement-porn vibe has been more than an aesthetic choice, it’s been a way of business. Dov Charney, American Apparel’s longtime CEO until 2014, was notoriously sleazy. When interviewed by Claudine Ko in 2004 for Jane magazine, Charney said his preferred method of relaxation was oral sex because he’s “a bit of a dirty guy, but people like that right now.” During the interview, he masturbated “eight or so” times. Charney was ultimately sued numerous times for sexual harassment (and settled), and the company ditched him after an independent investigation. Despite Charney’s behavior, American Apparel kept expanding, from three stores in 2003 to 280 stores in 2010.
