American Attire’s model picture was constructed on the premise that it was the moral, sweatshop-free fast-fashion model. Grungy fundamentals made in Los Angeles, offered with millennial hipster avenue cred and a way of cheeky irreverence. Netflix’s documentary Trainwreck: The Cult of American Attire gladly tears off the lid, exhibiting the darkish facet of a cult-favorite model. Everybody from the early 2000s remembers the model’s iconic billboards, with stylized, blown-out aesthetic, photographs of barely-clothed girls, many taken by firm founder Dov Charney have been era-defining. They have been subversive, genuine, and a few even felt like they pushed the boundaries of feminine empowerment in promoting. Rewatching them now, within the context of this documentary, these billboards look much less like advertisements and truly extra like proof for a prison trial.
CEO Dov Charney handpicked a younger, impressionable workers, drawn to the corporate not for profession potential however as a secure place to stay and work. As staff describe within the documentary, it was frequent to be employed with out résumés, on the idea of a “vibe test,” with welcome packages from the corporate that included a vibrator and a replica of The 48 Legal guidelines of Energy. Charney’s position as CEO blurred into one thing nearer to a cult chief, berating and humiliating staff whereas he lived within the firm mansion with these “members of the family” who finest adhered to his requirements.
This mistreatment was typically sexual. Within the firm’s tradition, staff have been groped, despatched undesirable nude photographs, and in any other case objectified by their boss. Staff interviewed describe Charney yelling abuse to his workers by means of cellphone calls at 2 a.m. which included ordering staff to strip bare as a part of a so-called “social experiment”. Much more insidious than the sexual abuse was the way it prolonged to all elements of Charney’s administration. His conduct was psychologically abusive, verbally abusive, and enabled by legal guidelines like compelled arbitration agreements which waive staff’ proper to a jury trial. Charney by no means even needed to publicly reply for his actions in court docket for a few years.
The documentary itself is brief, somewhat too quick, virtually. Clocking in at simply 54 minutes, it skims the floor of the ocean of abuse that prolonged for many years on the firm. Even in a brief runtime, the movie works to peel again the facade of American Attire to get to the emotional core of its tradition. It took individuals in, made them really feel particular, after which tore them aside. Former staff Carson and Jonny recount their time on the firm with a way of nostalgia that bleeds into trauma, a craving for a way of that means undercut by the reminiscences of humiliation.
On the finish of the day, the bigger problem right here is how a lot tradition itself contributed to that myth-making. Charney’s habits was an open secret for years. Charney’s workplace was filled with intercourse tapes, and he frequently despatched inappropriate and sometimes violent threats to staff through textual content. And it didn’t cease American Attire from changing into a billion-dollar firm or an emblem of moral vogue.
In any case, the American Attire model has since fallen aside, submitting for chapter in 2015. Charney continues to dabble within the vogue world, beginning one other model, Los Angeles Attire, and lately working with Kanye West on Yeezy. You possibly can watch this documentary on Netflix right now, however be ready to rage in opposition to the person, and individuals who let this slide within the shadows for therefore lengthy.