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Found this article about american apparel, that I thought was really funny.
http://www.globalaware.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=869&z=2
http://www.globalaware.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=869&z=2
Yeah, I think I did. I think they put it up on their website because so many people were talking about it. I'm not really sure how big Jane is, but I get the impression that article is probably the most well known thing they've ever done.Rodney said:I think solmu linked to that Jane article (mentioned in the globalaware article above), in another thread that talked about American Apparel. Surprised me to see that side of things.
I'd say there's probably more people supporting AA to be seen doing so, than due to any real regard. It's disturbing how many people say they support AA for ethical reasons, but then don't care when various ethical transgressions (i.e. sexism and union busting) are pointed out.Rodney said:It is interesting information. There are definitely AmericanApparel "fanatics" out there, and sometimes I wonder if they see the whole picture, or if they are just caught up in the "idea" of sweatshop free.
My take is that he's pretty much telling the truth about just being upfront about who he is. He made a couple of unsuccesful attempts at starting AA before it got off the ground; I'd speculate that what made him successful and what (sometimes) makes him fail are exactly the same thing. It's often a fine line.Rodney said:I don't know if [Dov is] going for the "even bad publicity is good publicity" angle or what.
CoolHandLuke said:
It’s not that they really promote “sweat-free” shops. They are the only apparel company that’s totally 100% made in the US. That’s their angle.
Depends on what your skillset is and how much is "slightly above". There are lots of people in CA making only the minimum wage. You're not going to get rich doing it or buy a fancy house, but I wouldn't call it "rough".honeyflip said:If you're living in CA, that's pretty rough.
I wouldn't say "only" - how many factories do you know who pay employees more than they legally have to?honeyflip said:However, it says in that Guardian article that they pay their factory workers only slightly above minimum wage. If you're living in CA, that's pretty rough.