AMERICAN APPAREL : A FEMINIST BRAND , OR EXPLOTING FEMINISM FOR PROFIT ?
American Apparel is a clothing brand , one I ’ m almost certain you ’ ve heard of . Since 1989 , the brand has cultivated a strong presence on social media , a vast fan base , 250 stores in 20 countries and a lot of controversy . This controversy is reserved for its notorious advertising campaigns . Their ‘ soft porn ’ campaigns are instantly recognisable ; the images shot with bright flashes , young girls , little clothing and vacant expressions . Images are graced with witty phrases such as
‘ Nudes . That ’ s American Apparel ’
and ‘ Made in Bangladesh .’ There ’ s an ongoing debate when it comes to American Apparel . Is this brand an example of an ultra-progressive one , one that empowers women ? Do these hypersexualised adverts celebrate female sexuality , or are they just another form of pseudo objectification ? Is American Apparel jumping on a feminist bandwagon for profit and publicity or does the company genuinely stand for equality between the sexes ?
It ’ s important , especially with this brand especially , to have clarity of the differences between feminism and female empowerment . “ Feminist ; a person who believes in the social , political and economic equality of the sexes .’ Adichie eloquently defines modern day feminism . You might have heard it sampled it Beyonce ’ s ‘ Flawless ’ track . Feminist Pip Williams defined it to me as ‘ empowerment to me was learning to be confident in myself as a person , without having to conform to a stereotype or ideal of being a girl or a woman .’
Supporters of American Apparel adverts will often use this as their main argument , and confusion can arise . It is possible to empower females , whilst simultaneously being misogynistic . This grey area can make American Apparel adverts hard to deal with ; “ I could mount a feminist defence of American Apparel ads , equally I could write a condemnation .” Sex positive feminism is about celebrating how women can be sexual , insisting female liberation as opposed to repression . In the case of American Apparel it would seem that yes , their adverts celebrate female sexuality in a liberating and positive way , they don ’ t even use editing software on their images , and they use women of all ethnicities in their ads too . It ’ s almost credible , maybe American Apparel is actually liberating women .
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