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===Sexuality===
===Sexuality===
Charney has taken a personal interest in his company's sexually-charged advertising campaigns. Many of the models are recruited by Charney and his colleagues on the street, or company stores; others are selected after sending their photos directly to Charney via the company website.<ref name=AFPush/> Rob Walker of [[The New York Times Magazine]] describes a "raw and vaguely decadent style" of the company's ads,<ref> The New York Times Magazine [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E2DB133DF932A3575BC0A9629C8B63 Rob Walker, "Conscience Undercover," 8/1/04]</ref> which are placed on blogs and other non-mainstream outlets such as free weekly newspapers, art and fashion journals, and other non-mainstream media such as [[Vice Magazine]].<ref name=AFPush/>
Charney has taken a personal interest in his company's sexually-charged advertising campaigns. Many of the models are recruited by Charney and his colleagues on the street, or company stores; others are selected after sending their photos directly to the company website.<ref name=AFPush/> Rob Walker of [[The New York Times Magazine]] describes a "raw and vaguely decadent style" of the company's ads,<ref> The New York Times Magazine [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E2DB133DF932A3575BC0A9629C8B63 Rob Walker, "Conscience Undercover," 8/1/04]</ref> which are placed not just on billboards in high-profile locations throughout New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere, but also on blogs and other non-mainstream outlets such as free weekly newspapers, art and fashion journals, and other non-mainstream media such as [[Vice Magazine]].<ref name=AFPush/>


Charney has also emphasized sexuality in his public persona and within the company. For a profile in [[The New Yorker]] magazine, while finalizing designs for the company's "breakthrough" Classic Girl line, he conducted fittings at a local strip club. In a video posted on the company website, Charney walked across his factory floor modeling a pair of men's briefs for his employees<ref>Dateline NBC [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14082498/ Josh Mankiewicz, "Sexy Marketing or Sexual Harassment?", NBC Television 7/26/06]</Ref>. Using erotic dancers as fit models allowed him to both save money and feature various body types to perfect the advertisements.<ref name=garmentos/> During a series of interviews with [[Jane Magazine]], Charney [[masturbation|masturbated]] on a number of occasions in front of the writer and staged a sexual encounter with an American Apparel employee.<ref name=Ko>Claudine Ko, "Meet Your New Boss," Jane Magazine, June/July, 2004</ref><ref>20/20 Newsmagazine [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=1362781 John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005]</ref><ref>Jewlicious.com [http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=77 Dov Charney entry]</ref>. This incident was chronicled in the June/July 2004 issue of the magazine. <ref name=Ko>Claudine Ko, "Extended Play" Jane Magazine, June/July, 2005</ref>
Charney has also emphasized sexuality in his public persona in order to raise his company's profile; in a similar synergistic manner, Hugh Hefner's profile raised that of the Playboy empire. For an article in [[The New Yorker]] magazine, while finalizing designs for the company's "breakthrough" Classic Girl line, he conducted fittings at a local strip club, explaining that the dancers' varied body types gave him the kind of insight he needed to perfect product sizing. In a video posted on the company website, Charney walked across his factory floor modeling a pair of men's briefs for his employees<ref>Dateline NBC [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14082498/ Josh Mankiewicz, "Sexy Marketing or Sexual Harassment?", NBC Television 7/26/06]</Ref>. During a series of interviews with [[Jane Magazine]], Charney [[masturbation|masturbated]] on a number of occasions in front of the writer and engaged in a sexual encounter with an American Apparel employee, though the writer has acknowledged all the incidents were consensual.<ref name=Ko>Claudine Ko, "Meet Your New Boss," Jane Magazine, June/July, 2004</ref><ref>20/20 Newsmagazine [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=1362781 John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005]</ref><ref>Jewlicious.com [http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=77 Dov Charney entry]</ref>. This incident was chronicled in the June/July 2004 issue of the magazine. <ref name=Ko>Claudine Ko, "Extended Play" Jane Magazine, June/July, 2005</ref>.


[[The New York Times Magazine]] suggests that Charney is the contemporary equivalent of Hugh Hefner in the 1950s, in pushing against cultural norms to promote a kind of popular hedonism that sexualizes "the girl next door".<ref name=AFPush/><ref>New York Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/02/fashion/thursdaystyles/02critic.html Alex Kuczynski, "Part Cotton, Part Virtue, Part Come-on," June 2, 2005]</ref> Charney claims the sexual openness is appropriate to the company's [[Generation Y]] demographic,<ref> McGill Daily [http://www.mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=3253 Jon Meyer, "Man in His Carlsberg Years Leads Youth Revolution," November 22, 2004]</ref><ref>Psfk.com [http://www.psfk.com/2005/06/4c_interviewbrd.html Guy Brighton, 4C Interview with Dov Charney of American Apparel, June 15, 2005]</ref> which he calls "Young Metropolitan Adults",<ref name=AFPush/> and the fashion business.<ref>Inc. Magazine [http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050901/american-apparel_Printer_Friendly.html Josh Dean, "Dov Charney, Like It or Not," September 2005]</ref>
[[The New York Times Magazine]] suggests that Charney is the contemporary equivalent of Hugh Hefner in the 1950s, in pushing against cultural norms to promote a kind of popular hedonism that sexualizes "the girl next door".<ref name=AFPush/><ref>New York Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/02/fashion/thursdaystyles/02critic.html Alex Kuczynski, "Part Cotton, Part Virtue, Part Come-on," June 2, 2005]</ref> Charney claims the sexual openness is appropriate to the company's [[Generation Y]] demographic,<ref> McGill Daily [http://www.mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=3253 Jon Meyer, "Man in His Carlsberg Years Leads Youth Revolution," November 22, 2004]</ref><ref>Psfk.com [http://www.psfk.com/2005/06/4c_interviewbrd.html Guy Brighton, 4C Interview with Dov Charney of American Apparel, June 15, 2005]</ref> which he calls "Young Metropolitan Adults",<ref name=AFPush/> and the fashion business.<ref>Inc. Magazine [http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050901/american-apparel_Printer_Friendly.html Josh Dean, "Dov Charney, Like It or Not," September 2005]</ref>
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==Criticism and Controversy==
==Criticism and Controversy==
The Jane Magazine story set off a small firestorm of criticism, particularly in the blogosphere.<ref>Jewlicious.com [http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=77 Dov Charney entry]</ref> There were three subsequent lawsuits from former employees charging Charney with sexual harassment. <ref>20/20 Newsmagazine [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=1362781 John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005]</ref>Two of the suits were settled out of court in 2005; the complaint of Mary Nelson, a former employee in American Apparel's sales department, remains pending as of 2007.<ref name=EndeavorSEC/> Charney is also accused of conducting job interviews in his [[underwear]] and giving employees [[Vibrator (sensual)|vibrators]]. <ref>Navarro, Mireya (July 10, 2005), ''[[The New York Times]].'' [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/fashion/sundaystyles/10HARASS.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=79e76efd724185ff&ex=1278648000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss His Way Meets a Highway Called Court]</ref> In response to allegations of sexual harassment, American Apparel now requires all employees to sign a disclaimer acknowledging, among other things, the sexually-charged nature of its products and advertisements.<ref name=AFPush/>
The Jane Magazine story set off a small firestorm of criticism, particularly in the blogosphere.<ref>Jewlicious.com [http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=77 Dov Charney entry]</ref> There were three subsequent lawsuits from former employees charging Charney with sexual harassment. <ref>20/20 Newsmagazine [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=1362781 John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005]</ref>Two of the suits were settled out of court in 2005; the complaint of Mary Nelson, a former employee in American Apparel's sales department, remains pending as of 2007.<ref name=EndeavorSEC/> Charney is also accused of conducting job interviews in his [[underwear]] and in one incident, of giving an employee a [[Vibrator (sensual)|vibrator]]. <ref>Navarro, Mireya (July 10, 2005), ''[[The New York Times]].'' [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/fashion/sundaystyles/10HARASS.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=79e76efd724185ff&ex=1278648000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss His Way Meets a Highway Called Court]</ref> In response to allegations of sexual harassment, American Apparel now requires all employees to sign a disclaimer acknowledging, among other things, the sexually-charged nature of its products and advertisements.<ref name=AFPush/>


==Design Sensibility==
==Design Sensibility==

Revision as of 16:59, 18 March 2008

Dov Charney (born January 31, 1969 in Montreal, Canada) is the founder and CEO of American Apparel ("AA"), a clothing manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer.

Charney has earned recognition in the media for management decisions to pay a fair wage and refuse to outsource manufacturing, while maintaining profitability and rapid company growth.[1][2] The sexually charged imagery in his company's advertising, the presentation of American Apparel's models, and the lifestyle the brand represents have been both praised and criticized.[3]. Charney has been compared to Hugh Hefner[4].

Early life as a Entrepreneur

File:Dov paris02 2006.jpg
Dov in Paris 2007

Charney's father, Morris Charney, is an architect, and his mother, Sylvia Safdie, an artist.[5] Both of his parents are of Jewish descent.[6][7]At an early age Charney showed signs of an entrepreneurial and independent spirit. In 1980 The Canadian Jewish News published a story on Charney with a headline that read "11-Year-Old Schoolboy Edits His Own Newspaper."[8]

Charney attended St. George's High School where he was Student Body President and spent his final year of high school at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, bringing back Hanes and Fruit of the Loom T-shirts and selling them in Canada.[9] In 1987, he enrolled Tufts University as an American Studies major in Medford, Massachusetts. While at Tufts he continued to operate his business but by 1990, Charney decided to drop out to operate the company full time.[10]

By 1991, Charney began making basic T-shirts under the American Apparel brand. He sub-contracted knitters, dyers, and sewers in South and North Carolina to manufacture his products.[11] The initial T-shirts were made of basic 18-single jersey and were positioned to compete with the Hanes Beefy-T. The primary market objective was to sell garments to screen printers and wholesale clothiers in the United States and Canada.[12]

Faced with severe offshore competition, as major mills like Fruit of the Loom and Hanes went off shore, Mr. Charney found himself severely challenged by globalization, and was unable to turn a profit.[13] In 1995, Charney began producing a new line of T-shirts, entitled Classic Girl. The Classic Girl garments were made of 30-singles ring spun combed cotton, as opposed to the standard coarser 18-singles open end cotton that producers like Hanes and Fruit of the Loom often used. These T-shirts were the antithesis of his competitor's product which gave the line a more youthful appeal.[14]

Moving to Columbia, South Carolina, Charney subcontracted production to local garment factories, selling shirts under the brand American Heavy. In 1996 the business failed due to rising costs and Charney filed for Chapter 11 reorganization[15].

In 1997 during a sales visit to West Coast, where the Classic Girl brand had built momentum, he became interested in manufacturing in Los Angeles. It was during that summer that he transitioned manufacturing to Los Angeles and began to sub-contract sewing with Sam Lim who, at the time, had a shop with 50 workers under the 10-freeway in Los Angeles. Months later the two men became partners.[16]In 2000 American Apparel moved into its current 800,000 sq.ft. factory located in downtown Los Angeles. The company also operates a dye house and knitting facility located in Los Angeles.[17]

After building a hugely popular wholesale brand, American Apparel wanted to move into the retail market. In 2003 American Apparel opened three retail stores located in Montreal, New York and Los Angeles.[18]Today the retail operation has grown to include 185 retail stores worldwide.

Advertising and Sexuality

Labor

For a time, Charney promoted a branding strategy that spotlighted his treatment of workers as a selling point for the company's merchandise, promoting American Apparel's goods as "sweatshop free." He later downplayed this concept, focusing on quality and company management.[19] Charney speaks passionately about his management style, promoting the company's vertical integration to improve the company's response time to market demand and reduce costs.[20]

Sexuality

Charney has taken a personal interest in his company's sexually-charged advertising campaigns. Many of the models are recruited by Charney and his colleagues on the street, or company stores; others are selected after sending their photos directly to the company website.[4] Rob Walker of The New York Times Magazine describes a "raw and vaguely decadent style" of the company's ads,[21] which are placed not just on billboards in high-profile locations throughout New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere, but also on blogs and other non-mainstream outlets such as free weekly newspapers, art and fashion journals, and other non-mainstream media such as Vice Magazine.[4]

Charney has also emphasized sexuality in his public persona in order to raise his company's profile; in a similar synergistic manner, Hugh Hefner's profile raised that of the Playboy empire. For an article in The New Yorker magazine, while finalizing designs for the company's "breakthrough" Classic Girl line, he conducted fittings at a local strip club, explaining that the dancers' varied body types gave him the kind of insight he needed to perfect product sizing. In a video posted on the company website, Charney walked across his factory floor modeling a pair of men's briefs for his employees[22]. During a series of interviews with Jane Magazine, Charney masturbated on a number of occasions in front of the writer and engaged in a sexual encounter with an American Apparel employee, though the writer has acknowledged all the incidents were consensual.[23][24][25]. This incident was chronicled in the June/July 2004 issue of the magazine. [23].

The New York Times Magazine suggests that Charney is the contemporary equivalent of Hugh Hefner in the 1950s, in pushing against cultural norms to promote a kind of popular hedonism that sexualizes "the girl next door".[4][26] Charney claims the sexual openness is appropriate to the company's Generation Y demographic,[27][28] which he calls "Young Metropolitan Adults",[4] and the fashion business.[29] Charney's advertisements have been praised within the fashion and advertising industries[30][31] Adult entertainment trade magazine Adult Video News cited the American Apparel website[32] as "one of the finer softcore websites going."[33]

Criticism and Controversy

The Jane Magazine story set off a small firestorm of criticism, particularly in the blogosphere.[34] There were three subsequent lawsuits from former employees charging Charney with sexual harassment. [35]Two of the suits were settled out of court in 2005; the complaint of Mary Nelson, a former employee in American Apparel's sales department, remains pending as of 2007.[2] Charney is also accused of conducting job interviews in his underwear and in one incident, of giving an employee a vibrator. [36] In response to allegations of sexual harassment, American Apparel now requires all employees to sign a disclaimer acknowledging, among other things, the sexually-charged nature of its products and advertisements.[4]

Design Sensibility

Charney's aesthetic in fashion and décor is retro-seventies modernism.[4] He studies, annotates and photographs ads from magazines of that period for inspiration. Some items in the company's clothing line, such as nylon gym shorts and neon-colored women's leggings, explicitly refer to the eighties.[4] Some American Apparel stores include enlarged stills from the 1979 film Roller Boogie. Charney speaks at length on how differing kinds of cotton and other textiles can be woven, and their effect when worn.[14] He hopes to apply his designs to automobiles, hotels, and other retail environments.[37]

Company Sale/IPO

In December 2006, Charney entered into an agreement to sell American Apparel for $360 million to the publicly listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Endeavor Acquisition.[38] Upon completion of the deal, Sam Lim's equity interest in American Apparel will have been bought out, and the resulting merged company will be a publicly traded entity known as American Apparel, Inc. Charney will remain majority shareholder of the new company, and hold the titles President and Chief Executive Officer for a minimum term of three years.[2] All employees of American Apparel will also be rewarded with 500 shares of stock in the new company.[2]

References

  1. ^ Joellen Perry (2004-05-16). "Made in America". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved 2007-11-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Endevour Aquisitions Corp. SEC Proxy Statement Schedule 14A, June 5, 2007
  3. ^ Dov Charney, the hustler - The Economist - January 4, 2007[1]
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h New York Times Magazine Jaime Wolf, "And You Thought Abercrombie & Fitch Was Pushing It?," April 23, 2006
  5. ^ Jewish Journal, Unfashionable Crisis, 2005-07-29[2]
  6. ^ Inc.com's daily report on Dov Charney. September 2005[3]
  7. ^ Launch Box article and quotes from interview of Dov Charney 7/29/05 [4]
  8. ^ Montreal Mirror - Mr. No Logo - Alexandra Spunt - August 28, 2003[5]
  9. ^ Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin Lorraine S. Connelly, "Young Entrepreneurs," Spring 2007
  10. ^ Inc. Magazine Josh Dean, "Dov Charney, Like It or Not," September 2005
  11. ^ Apparel News - Angeleno Style - Alison A. Niedler - August 2000
  12. ^ Time Magazine - Bring It On - Daren Fonda - October 29, 2001[6]
  13. ^ 20/20 Newsmagazine John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005
  14. ^ a b The New Yorker Malcolm Gladwell, "The Young Garmentos," April 24, 2000
  15. ^ 20/20 Newsmagazine John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005
  16. ^ Apparel News - Angeleno Style - Alison A. Niedler - August 2000
  17. ^ "Segment of Modern Marvels: Cotton". The History Channel via AmericanApparel.net. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  18. ^ DNR - All the Way to the Blank - Lee Bailey - March 22, 2004
  19. ^ Inc. Magazine Josh Dean, "Dov Charney, Like It or Not," September 2005
  20. ^ Newsweek Jennifer Ordoñez, "California Hustlin'," 6/26/06
  21. ^ The New York Times Magazine Rob Walker, "Conscience Undercover," 8/1/04
  22. ^ Dateline NBC Josh Mankiewicz, "Sexy Marketing or Sexual Harassment?", NBC Television 7/26/06
  23. ^ a b Claudine Ko, "Meet Your New Boss," Jane Magazine, June/July, 2004 Cite error: The named reference "Ko" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  24. ^ 20/20 Newsmagazine John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005
  25. ^ Jewlicious.com Dov Charney entry
  26. ^ New York Times Alex Kuczynski, "Part Cotton, Part Virtue, Part Come-on," June 2, 2005
  27. ^ McGill Daily Jon Meyer, "Man in His Carlsberg Years Leads Youth Revolution," November 22, 2004
  28. ^ Psfk.com Guy Brighton, 4C Interview with Dov Charney of American Apparel, June 15, 2005
  29. ^ Inc. Magazine Josh Dean, "Dov Charney, Like It or Not," September 2005
  30. ^ Los Angeles Fashion Awards 2005
  31. ^ Adage.com Simon Dumenco, "Media Guy Slips Into Coma; Are Print Ads To Blame," August 29, 2005
  32. ^ American Apparel Photo Gallery
  33. ^ Adult Video News "I See London, I See France," AVNOnline Column, February 1, 2006
  34. ^ Jewlicious.com Dov Charney entry
  35. ^ 20/20 Newsmagazine John Stossel and Glenn Silber, "Sexy Sweats Without the Sweatshop," ABC Television, December 2, 2005
  36. ^ Navarro, Mireya (July 10, 2005), The New York Times. His Way Meets a Highway Called Court
  37. ^ Charlie Rose Talk Show featuring Dov Charney
  38. ^ The Wall Street Journal Stephanie Kang, "American Apparel Seeks Growth Through An Unusual Deal," December 19, 2006
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