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Commentary: ‘Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel’ reveals the man behind the sleazy billboards

BBG News

In the 2000s, American Apparel’s billboards were impossible to overlook as you navigated through Los Angeles. The company, based in L.A., was known for its advertising campaigns that showcased raw, amateurish photos of young women, often posed provocatively, in different stages of undress. Notably, the clothing itself wasn’t the main attraction – a tube sock or thong here and there were about all you’d see. Instead, it seemed the attention was more on the models than the clothes.

As a film enthusiast, I found the youthful looks of the models unsettling yet somehow expected, given the contentious Calvin Klein campaigns from past decades. However, by the year 2000, Britney Spears’ schoolgirl-turned-pole-dancer performance in her “Oops!… I Did It Again” video struck a chord with tweens and mothers alike. Yet, there was an unsettling, predatory feel to American Appeal’s ad campaign that seemed more than exploitative – it felt sinister and wrong in a way that left a bad taste.

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel,” currently streaming on Netflix, sheds light on why those billboards seemed less alluring and more indicative of misconduct. This 54-minute documentary delves into the goings-on behind the scenes at the company, under the leadership of controversial founder and CEO Dov Charney. The film exposes abusive practices, presenting footage, research, and testimonies from former employees. Unfortunately, there’s nothing trendy or stylish about the mistreatment depicted in it.

This document is included in a Netflix series that delves into chaotic incidents, corporations, and personalities like the Balloon Boy hoax and the infamous “Poop Cruise.” It’s not high-brow content, and this particular episode of the series doesn’t provide an extensive, detailed analysis of a troubled company and its controversial leader. Instead, it exposes the abusive environment at American Apparel, revealing how Charney – who often directed the ads himself – transformed his alleged missteps into a highly effective marketing strategy for his brand.

The film follows the journey of American Apparel, from its founding in 1989 through its rise to become one of the top garment producers in the U.S., until it filed for bankruptcy in 2015. By redefining essential clothing items like sweatshirts as trendy alternatives to flashy jeans and tacky UGG boots, this L.A.-made clothing line gained popularity due to its “Ethically Made — Sweatshop Free” tagline. Over time, it earned the nickname ‘indie sleaze’, becoming a hit on an emerging platform called social media.

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To counteract multiple legal actions initiated by Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel, the company submitted court papers disclosing a wealth of explicit information regarding his suspected misbehavior within the organization.

The actions of Charney are depicted extensively across numerous video recordings, compiled by both employees and those close to him. Ex-employees share their experiences, reminiscing about how they were brought on board or promoted to management roles without prior experience. One individual recounts an unusual onboarding process at the company, where new hires received a welcome gift box containing items like a vibrator, Robert Greene’s book “The 48 Laws of Power,” a Leica camera, and a Blackberry for round-the-clock communication with Charney. Additionally, these new employees were asked to sign confidentiality agreements that eventually made it challenging to hold Charney responsible for the alleged misconduct he was accused of.

In the Netflix documentary, both EJ and Jonny were previously employed at American Apparel and were interviewed for it.

The video depicts Charney as a tense, energized individual who often scolded his staff with harsh words like “losers” and more. He accommodated select workers at his Silver Lake residence, the Garbutt House, and these individuals included a group of young women whose responsibilities appeared to extend beyond their job descriptions; they were commonly referred to as Charney’s ladies. In his 40s, he is seen in the footage berating younger employees, some of whom were minors at the time. At least one clip features him strutting around nude in front of two female subordinates.

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For approximately ten years, the prosperous company set trends in fashion. However, by the 2010s, it started to decline due to revelations of Charney’s inappropriate behavior and unjust working conditions within the organization. He was accused of mistreating young employees in stores and offices, exploiting undocumented workers in factories, but it was charges of sexual misconduct and workplace assault that made headlines, resulting in his removal as CEO. In a documentary, women who allege they were sexually assaulted by Charney share their experiences.

After his fall from grace, Charney didn’t fade away. Instead, he established a new clothing company called Los Angeles Apparel and is said to be involved with Yeezy, the fashion brand created by Ye, the former rapper Kanye West. According to Rolling Stone, Charney was the one who printed West’s contentious “White Lives Matter” T-shirts.

Concerning American Apparel, it was purchased by a Canadian clothing corporation that reintroduced the brand just prior to the pandemic. However, the garments are no longer produced in L.A. Interestingly, the indie sleaze billboard campaign has resurfaced in the city, evoking a sense of nostalgia, albeit an unsettling one. This revival hints at a time when questionable marketing practices ruled, with those behind the ads being celebrated as brilliant marketers, despite their disturbing undertones.

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2025-07-03 00:01

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