American Apparel Thesis Statement
1. Introduction
What do you think when you hear ‘American Apparel’? Trendy? USA manufactured? Controversial ads? Sexual harassment lawsuits against the CEO? Near nudity?
All these perceptions have contributed indirectly to American Apparel’s bankruptcies. But what is the actual reason of their bankruptcies, and what can they do to avoid a repitition? In this thesis, I am going to thoroughly analyse the brand as it is today, in order to find an answer as to why they were failing in the first place. Subsequently, I will find a way to re-launch the brand, so that it can reclaim its position and find success again.
This thesis is commissioned by Artevelde University College Ghent, as part of my final year in BA Communication Management. With this thesis, I hope to shed some light on American Apparel’s history, and convince you of my analysis. Lastly, I also hope to persuade you of what American Apparel, in my opinion, needs to change in order to avoid a third bankruptcy.
2. Brand Determination
2.1. Brand Heritage
“To say that American Apparel has a tumultuous history would be an understatement.” (Highsnobiety, 2016). While founded in 1989, American Apparel was initially meant to be a wholesale company for blank garments. CEO and
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