Abercrombie & Fitch Face Backlash Over CEO Comments Resurface

The 2006 interview recently surfaced and after being discovered, is causing outrage from previous fans of the brand. Teens have been holding protests outside a Chicago store, holding banners and signs, one reading: “Social equality for all body types.”

This comes not long after backlash at Abercrombie and Fitch that they didn’t carry larger sizes. Protests were held outside a Chicago store from outrage that the average woman’s size (US 14) and plus sizes were was not being sold in store, while extra smalls and double zeros were stocked. One protestor claiming that the store is bullying and promoting body discrimination.

This certainly isn’t the only time Abercrombie and Fitch have been under fire from the younger generation, the American clothing brand that has been running since 1892 also faced outrage from teens back in 2005 against certain T-shirts sold in-store. Persuading the brand to remove two considerably offensive T-shirts that featured phrases including ‘Who needs a brain when you have these?’ and ‘I had a nightmare I was brunette’ Abercrombie and Fitch responded and the teenage girls then went on to meet with company executives to pitch their own ideas for clothing.

Photo From GregKarber Youtube

Many online campaigns have been started against Jeffries comments, with an 18 year old starting an online petition calling for a boycott of the stores until the CEO makes a formal apology for his comments. As well as the ‘Fitch The Homeless’ campaign started by a young Youtuber. The plan is to encourage customers to donate their A&F clothes to the homeless in a bid to retaliate against the brand’s ‘ideal’ target market.

The online social media around these campaigns is fast spreading with the petition already gaining over 21,000 signatures.

Abercrombie and Jeffries are yet to comment on the situation.

EDIT: Jeffries released a statment on Abercrombie’s Facebook Page this morning (16/05/13) addressing his former comments, claiming that they were taken out of context and apologising for offence taken:

“I want to address some of my comments that have been circulating from a 2006 interview. While I believe this 7 year old, resurrected quote has been taken out of context, I sincerely regret that my choice of words was interpreted in a manner that has caused offense. A&F is an aspirational brand that, like most specialty apparel brands, targets its marketing at a particular segment of customers. However, we care about the broader communities in which we operate and are strongly committed to diversity and inclusion. We hire good people who share these values. We are completely opposed to any discrimination, bullying, derogatory characterizations or other anti-social behavior based on race, gender, body type or other individual characteristics.”

Written By Zoe Barrow