Fashion's Willy Wonka

Most know that I'm not exactly a fan of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand... I believe I've gone down as typifying their women's wear as "camping slut" to be vulgar (but true) about it. Nonetheless Salon.com (free after advertisement) writes a fascinating expose on the company and its current cult-like leader. A worthy read, with the tip going to S over at Yellow Fever. I can't help but thinking a bit of Michael Jackson as I introspect over the article. Mr. Jeffries certainly makes for an interesting business and lifestyle specimen. The author argues that A&F is largely responsible for reintroducing into the American fashion consciousness the idea of the overtly masculine, whitebread, 1950s icon in the vein of Marlon Brando.... and then cutting a few years, scars, and imperfections off to leave boys on the verge of manhood. Women are, apparently, a sidenote in the company's overall plan, certainly a rarity and certainly not harming it's woman's line.

Excerpt:

Salon.com Life | The man behind Abercrombie & Fitch: "Jeffries nearly fell over in exasperation when I mentioned the magalog, although I'm not sure which charge -- that he sells sex to kids or that his advertising is homoerotic -- bothered him more. 'That's just so wrong!' he said. 'I think that what we represent sexually is healthy. It's playful. It's not dark. It's not degrading! And it's not gay, and it's not straight, and it's not black, and it's not white. It's not about any labels. That would be cynical, and we're not cynical! It's all depicting this wonderful camaraderie, friendship, and playfulness that exist in this generation and, candidly, does not exist in the older generation.'

Jeffries alternates his grumpy defensiveness with moments of surprising candor, making him at times oddly endearing. He admitted things out loud that some youth-focused retailers wouldn't (which may be why he panicked and pulled his cooperation from this story two days after I left A&F headquarters, offering no explanation). For example, when I ask him how important sex and sexual attraction are in what he calls the 'emotional experience' he creates for his customers, he says, 'It's almost everything. That's why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that.'"