Back to basics! American Apparel left many diehard fans in distress when the made-in-America retailer claimed bankruptcy in 2015, and had finished closing all 110 of its stores nationwide in April 2017. Be still, colorful-legging-loving hearts. American Apparel is officially back.
The brand relaunched on Monday, August 14, with some major changes. After being acquired by Canadian wholesale brand Gildan Activewear for $88 million in January 2017, American Apparel is now focusing on a highly pared down offering of clothing. Once selling more than 6,000 styles, AA is going back to its earliest roots and offering around 37 items during the early relaunch.
“It started to become everything for everyone a bit, and really diluted,” AA’s vice president of direct to consumer, Silvia Mazzuchellli, told Fashionista, “so we wanted to go back and have a strong message.”
Another big shakeup: No longer will all of the clothing be made in the U.S.A. The brand is now utilizing Gildan’s supply chain, including factories in Central America. Still, for those committed to buying American-made clothing, AA has created a Made in the U.S.A. Capsule, which gives consumers the option to pay slightly higher prices — an extra $10 per item, to be exact — for pieces that are made entirely in America.
One thing American Apparel promises hasn’t changed: the brand’s commitment to “timeless, fashionable basics in a variety of colorways,” said Mazzuchellli. “We’re actually very excited when we see people saying, ‘Oh, American Apparel is back and it looks the same.’ For us, that’s a compliment because we never wanted to change it.”
