A Look Into American Apparel's Rebranding as they Re-Open Stores

Courtesy: NYDailyNews.com

Yesterday, Vox published an article titled "American Apparel's rebrand says a lot about their life after bankruptcy," written by Eliza Brooke. Over a year ago, American Apparel went bankrupt and subsequently closed all their stores. The retail giant became notorious as the CEO resigned admit sexual assault allegations. 

In light of these allegations, they are finally changing their image. You've probably seen American Apparel's hyper-sexual ads. Their old ads feature models obviously being dominated and objectified, and many times, their female models looked like young girls. This NY Daily News article shows the top ten controversial American Apparel ads).

2018 AA ad. Courtesy: AmericanApparel.com

Their new image is a closing brand for empowered young people of all genders. Vice president of marketing, Sabina Weber, says, "Its tone, once cheeky and fairly smutty, has been transformed into a message of empowerment -- the idea is that shoppers can still look sexy in a bodysuit or colorful, skintight pants, but on their own terms," (Vox). Not only the advertising, but their clothing options are changing as well. For example, they now carry nine nude colors for bodysuits and lingerie instead of just one. 

American Apparel has always been a brand that is ethically produced, but their advertising exploited women by objectifying them. The rebranding is a testament to the power of consumers. If consumers demand body positive, inclusive, and accessible clothing options and media images, companies will comply.