American Apparel Not Completely Made in America

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One of the pillars of Dov Charney's American Apparel is that the organization prides itself on its "Made in America" product so we reacted with great humor to these images, sent to us by the ever present Bucky Turco, which shows the new American Apparel store at 119-121 East 23rd Street in New York under construction with "Made in Canada" boxes all over the place. Now we're quite sure Canada is no sweat shop but we're sure whatever's in those boxes could certainly have been found somewhere in America if someone looked hard enough. View more of the new store here.

Written by Steve Hall    Comments (22)     File: Brands     Sep-20-05  
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Comments

If you look closely and notice these boxes are from a Canadian company for pop and fixture displays, not their clothing

Posted by: keith knutsson on September 20, 2005 11:11 PM

Yes, we know that. The point was that products like that can also come from the U.S. if Dov stipulated that.

Posted by: Steve Hall on September 20, 2005 11:43 PM

silly point. sorry. should he also make stipulate that all trucks that deliver items to him are american made? his clothes are made here and help underserved communities, whereas most other clothes like his are made in other countries under questionable circumstances, it's his point of difference and he touts it (hence the name). i don't believe the company is claiming patriotism. the post might have been better if you just went for irony over rightousness. but then again im sleepy.

Posted by: gary on September 21, 2005 01:33 AM

An expose? No.
Free advertising for the new American Apparel store.
Wrapped in a "news" story.
Very clever.

Posted by: owen plotkin on September 21, 2005 08:29 AM

You hear that AA? Can I get an ad now, laf?

Posted by: Bucky da ANIMAL on September 21, 2005 08:57 AM

"Oh, we meant North American Apparel!"

But all (attempted) yuks aside, I agree...a little on the nitpicky side.

Posted by: Ben on September 21, 2005 09:10 AM

Oh come on people. Can't we have any fun here? Does every story have to be about CP +B or shitty creative or idiotic executive ramblings or naked women? A little fun poked at AA. That's all. Earthshatteringly newsworthy? Of course not but, then again, what story ever is on Adrants? :-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on September 21, 2005 09:28 AM

I think Adrants could spin the story with reference to the USD exchange rate with its Canadian counterpart. That surely qualifies Canada as a low-wage country... :D

Posted by: Kurre on September 21, 2005 10:40 AM

I vote for less Crispin, more naked women.

Posted by: Satan on September 21, 2005 12:01 PM

This is way too nitpicky. You can't be THAT hard-up for content in this industry, can you?

Posted by: ka-blam on September 21, 2005 01:08 PM

You thought we covered actual "real" news here at Adrants? We have Ad Age and Ad Week for that:-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on September 21, 2005 01:19 PM

Um.........last I heard Canada was in North America....and.......ummmm....your country is called United States OF America. So - what exactly is the big deal? It is still American apparel, no? And isn't there something called NAFTA that supposed to be making us all happy trading partners? Oy vey!

Posted by: TS on September 21, 2005 02:10 PM

While Canada is in North America, Canadians will assure you it IS a separate country:-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on September 21, 2005 02:44 PM

Every day on my way to work I drive by the massive AA factory on Alameda and 6th street in Downtown Los Angeles. A few years ago that factory was totally abandoned.

Posted by: eecue on September 21, 2005 07:46 PM

American Apparel is no longer pushing the "Made in America" issue. Their new focus is "Sex sells". If you don't believe me, read the article on AA and Dov in the latest Inc. Magazine.
Word,

Cadillac

Posted by: Cadillac Williams on September 22, 2005 11:37 AM

P.O.P. made in Canada is hardly scandalous. He's not selling it and calling it American made. He's Canadian too...so maybe he gets a sweet deal there.

Posted by: Vidalia on September 22, 2005 08:40 PM

If you look up the web address on the side of the box it leads you to a company that makes furniture/kiosks for stores. Not clothing.

http://www.afldisplay.com

Posted by: Simon on September 26, 2005 10:17 AM

Way too much time on your hands...

Posted by: Sven on October 4, 2005 07:52 PM

You see...this guy is fuckin' brilliant.People have dirty mouths and he knows. People who are not opened minded and would make a big deal about any details just to keep them busy, they just don't get it.Yes...sweatshop free...the workers over there, they don't want to be unionized...because they don't need to and they don't feel treated.So fuck off to conservative people...Youth have the power to change something...People they will get out of their closets.

Posted by: Isabelle Vallerand on October 9, 2005 11:19 PM

Um, about Canada not being a sweatshop...

there are sweatshops here, no doubt about it. and there are sweatshops in the US too.

Posted by: holly mcintyre on October 11, 2005 08:39 PM

Somehow ppl from the USA adopted the "i'm from america" slogan. Technically everyone in North and South America are Americans.

So "American Made" playing is just feeding them their own ignorance.

Posted by: jdub on March 14, 2007 12:53 PM

Somehow ppl from the USA adopted the "i'm from america" slogan. Technically everyone in North and South America are Americans.

So "American Made" is playing on that, just feeding them their own ignorance. Open up!

Posted by: jdub on March 14, 2007 12:54 PM

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