New American Apparel CEO, Paula Schneider, to clean up ’woman problem’

IT’S a brand that earned a reputation for sleaze, thanks to tasteless campaigns featuring overtly sexual images of young people. But can a new CEO rescue American Apparel?

American Apparel

“IT doesn’t have to be overtly sexual. There is a way to tell our story where it’s not offensive. It is an edgy brand — and it will continue to be an edgy brand”.

So says American Apparel’s new CEO, Paula Schneider, who, in her first wideranging interview, made it clear she intends to clean up the sexual mess surrounding the brand, which saw former CEO and founder, Dov Charney, leave in disgrace following a myriad of sexual harassment allegations.

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But can she fix a brand so saturated with controversial sexual imagery that its campaigns are routinely disparaged by mainstream and social media alike?

Late last year, American Apparel was labelled as “abhorrent” for featuring an ad campaign with models posing as school girls.

Abhorrent ... The above photograph, featuring an American Apparel model as part of a “school” campaign, shocked social media so much the label withdrew the image. Picture: Supplied

One advertisement for a mini skirt — which showed a model, bent over in a plaid skirt and revealing parts of her buttocks and underwear — was called “underage pornography”.

The photo was considered so inappropriate that it was quickly taken down from the brand’s UK account after social media users condemned it moments after the photographs were put up.

Also last year, the retailer was labelled as “sexist” and “sleazy” for advertising a unisex shirt using half-naked women alongside a group of fully clothed male models.

But Schneider believes anything is possible — even turning the image of sleazy American Apparel into an “edgy “one.

In the first two weeks of her tenure as the chief, Schneider told Forbes that she had already “made great progress literally in the last 10 days”.

Appointed largely to solve the brand’s “women problem”, Schneider said she also wants to change the direction of the brand away from the sexualisation of young women, and focus instead on social issues such as gay rights and anti-bullying.

Schneider won the National Organisation of Women’s Business Owners Inspiration Award in 2010, and is a team captain and top fundraiser for Avon’s Walk for Breast Cancer.

Ousted ... Dov Charney, former chairman and CEO of American Apparel, was kicked out of his position after several allegations of sexual misconduct. Picture: Keith Bedford

She has spoken about empowering women and worked on preventing abuse — a stark contrast to Charney, whose multiple sexual harassment lawsuits and alleged indiscretions have cost the brand respect.

Forbes reported that a source — who did not wish to be named — said the company’s problem with women was bleeding into its profits.

“This company has a woman problem,” he said. “There are plenty of women who work there, but the core customer is a 20 to 35-year-old woman with some disposable income, and to them, [Charney’s behaviour] is worse than buying from somewhere using sweatshop labour.”

The company has also recently lost profit, followed by a fall in share prices.

Change ... Brendan Jordan was featured in a recent American Apparel campaign for his “efforts with the LGBTQ community”. Picture: American Apparel.

Last December, the brand made some headway into changing its image for the better when it released a campaign featuring 15-year-old Brendan Jordan, who made world headlines after video of him striking a series of modelesque poses during a live TV cross went viral.

In the campaign, Jordan poses in an assortment of playful outfits, alongside a blurb about his story and why the label decided to feature him.

“We were inspired by Brendan after seeing his fearless act of spontaneity and applaud his efforts with the LGBTQ community. His favourite styles of ours include the Clear PVC Circle Skirt and anything high-waisted,” the campaign stated.

The decision gained the brand much positivity publicity, and Jordan has since amassed a large social media following.