American Apparel, the iconic North American fashion brand that rose to stardom for its ‘Made in Los Angeles’ clothing and infamously fell into bankruptcy in 2015, is back in business.
The brand has replenished its most in-demand apparel basics on an updated e-commerce website that looks almost identical to the old one.
There are close to no changes in the design and appearance of American Apparel’s branding but with its new factories located in Honduras, the fashion retailer is reconsidering its initial product pitch.
American Apparel is now shifting focus towards ethical production and dedicates sections on its website that talk about ‘green’ energy, healthcare prospects for workers and a more diverse marketing agenda in general.
The brand’s intellectual property was bought by Canadian manufacturing firm, Gildan Activewear in January this year. However, the manufacturer strategically left the American Apparel’s retail and manufacturing units. The plan was to keep the ‘brand’ alive and move the focus away from the exclusive ‘Made in America’ tagline.
With credit to the new ‘Globally Made’ approach, American Apparel’s product assortments, which have been dialled down to a curated set of AA Bestsellers at the moment, are being offered at much cheaper prices.
The brand is still trying to give America a chance by selling a series of identical product twins where one is made in the US and the other is ‘imported’. These will be displayed side by side on a brand-new page on their website, where the banner commandingly reads “We are sweatshop free and ethically made regardless of location. You decide!”
Although the American products are far more expensive (by a margin of around 20 per cent) and offer fewer options in terms of colours, the industry is keenly watching American Apparel’s endeavour as it has become a testing ground for the world to see if people actually want to buy local or not.
