American Apparel Causing Controversy Again

Previously using merkin-wearing mannequins in their US stores, crotch shots and porn stars for their advertising, they’ve got people talking again with this…

However if you read the text below the image, you see what message American Apparel were trying to convey. This advert is meant to show off that American Apparel only use ethical production methods. All their clothes being made in Downtown Los Angeles, with workers receiving fair wages, benefits and health care. There has been quite a bit of news about ethical working conditions when producing garment, especially after the collapse of the Dhaka factory killing 1,129 workers last year. Something American Apparel’s competitors have been in the firing line for.

The 22 year old women in this image is an American Apparel Merchandiser who is a former Muslim born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She moved over to the US when she was 4 years old with her parents with the caption explaining,“Upon entering high school, Maks began to feel the need to forge her own identity and ultimately distanced herself from Islamic traditions.”

Mak has backed up her reasons for participating in this campaign to the Daily Mail saying, “We should all be able to freely express ourselves no matter where we come from. I fully support the message of the ad. I love and embrace all cultures and religions. I am choosing to be creative and expressing myself freely.”

By Andrea McCaul