Brandy Melville Is a Fast Fashion Clothing Company Steeped in Controversy — Here's Why

"I don't think people know the extent of how bad it is. They would be doing everyone a favor to shut this business down."

Apr. 10 2024, Published 6:06 p.m. ET

People of a undeniable technology can still recall what it smelled like to walk by an Abercrombie & Fitch at their local mall. The stench of cologne was overwhelming and just about overpowered the eardrum-blasting track that tumbled out and onto every passerby. If an individual could forget about all of that and actually walk into the store, they'd be greeted by means of a sea of preppy/sporty clothing and a tender blond worker.

Anyone may just shop at Abercrombie & Fitch nevertheless it at all times felt distinctly male. Nowadays Gen-Z has their own model of this rapid fashion retail chain, however this one caters to women. Brandy Melville has taken the beige affordable type international by means of storm and, like its odious predecessor, isn't with out its problems. Let's take a look at the controversies surrounding Brandy Melville.

There are somewhat a few controversies associated with Brandy Melville.

In April 2024, a documentary about the inner workings of Brandy Melville was launched on Max. Titled Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion, it invited audience into the stockroom, if you'll, the place former employees blew the whistle on their outdated boss. Director Eva Orner (Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator) spoke with People about the process of having these folks to open up. It wasn't easy.

"They are scared of the company, they're scared of retribution, and they're also scared because they're starting their careers and they don't necessarily want to be seen as a troublemaker by future employers," she told the outlet. Because of this, Orner considers those ladies to be heroes and applauds the strength it took to return forward.

The employees mentioned a lot of alleged instances of bigotry and misogyny. Brandy Melville used to be based by way of Italian entrepreneur Silvio Marsan. His son Stephan was once made CEO, and he and his father it appears required workers to send them daily photos of their outfits. They claimed it was once for modeling opportunities however they soon reportedly devolved into requests for feet and chest footage. If they didn't like what they noticed, employees were continuously fired.

Employees also it appears needed to have a definite glance which was once skinny, white, and usually blond. "If she was Black, if she was fat … he didn't want them in the store," stated Luca Rotondo, a former senior vice chairman, all through an interview with Business Insider. If Black people have been employed, workers in the documentary declare they got paintings to do in the stockroom. Also, how much one made depended upon how horny Stephan thought you have been.

Higher level executives, including Stephan, had been supposedly part of a bunch chat that texted racist and antisemitic messages. In 2021, Business Insider took a look at over one hundred fifty screenshots from the texts in the chat and famous that "Hitler was mentioned 24 times." They frequently ridiculed Black other people by way of bigoted pictures and deeply unfunny "jokes." Franco Sorgi, who as soon as owned Eleven stores in Canada, informed the outlet people went in conjunction with those funny story to assuage Stephan.

For extra on the atrocious allegations surrounding Brandy Melville, we advise looking at the documentary. The Business Insider piece goes even deeper, with tales of alleged sexual assault and upper control encouraging underage ingesting and drug use. A former manager of a New York location, who claimed she was raped by an govt, said, "I don't think people know the extent of how bad it is. They would be doing everyone a favor to shut this business down."

If you wish to have support, name the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or consult with RAINN.org to speak on-line one-on-one with a enhance specialist at any time.

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