After being accused of hiring prospective employees based on physical attractiveness, American Apparel has released a statement to refute the claim: their screening process is really based on personal style, not beauty. Duh!
To provide explanation –- albeit an unconvincing one –- American Apparel’s creative director, Marsha Brady (seriously!) insisted in the statement that because the company sells year-round basics, they have to rely on the personal style of their employees to display the clothes in stylish ways that will sell. Basically, as Brady suggests, the clothes act as art supplies (my opinion: make your clothes more interesting and they’ll sell themselves).
According to Brady, "One of the things we look for is an ability to take our products, make them exciting, and show cool they can look, which doesn’t have much to do with being pretty."
Sure, but being pretty helps. After all, the company admitted that sometimes they don’t even hire models, but use employees and real people in their ads –- and I’ve never seen an American Apparel ad without an attractive, model-esque young person, have you?
Recruiting by Fashion Sense
American Apparel Hires for Personal Style, Not Looks
Trend Themes
1. Personal Style Screening - Implementing personal style screening in the hiring process to find employees who can display clothes in stylish ways and boost sales.
2. Year-round Basics - Capitalizing on the demand for year-round basics by relying on employees to showcase the versatility and style of the clothing.
3. Authentic Advertising - Utilizing employees and real people in advertising campaigns to enhance authenticity and connect with consumers.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Retail - Fashion retailers can adopt personal style screening to ensure employees effectively showcase their products and increase sales.
2. Apparel Manufacturing - Manufacturers of year-round basics can focus on creating versatile and stylish clothing that encourages customers to express their personal style.
3. Advertising and Marketing - Advertising and marketing agencies can work with brands to create authentic campaigns that feature real employees and attract consumers.