So, Where Is American Apparel Founder Dov Charney Now?

American Apparel: a brand known for being cool, risqué, and incredibly controversial.

The retailer has had its fair share of questionable coverage since its inception, but none have been as damning as the stories around its former CEO, Dov Charney.

A new Netflix documentary is detailing the rise and fall of America’s most controversial fashion brand – from its highly sexualised advertising to the allegations made against its founder, Dov.

American Apparel may still exist, but (as far as we know), its toxic culture of all nighters, looks-based hiring processes, and employee exploitation does not.

Here’s what we learned from the documentary, Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel.

What was happening in American Apparel?

Founded in LA in 1989, it wasn’t until the mid 2000s that American Apparel became the cool, hispter, basics brand it was once lauded for being.

American Apparel prided itself on its garment creation ethos: every piece of clothing was made in the US, right there in LA, and the company’s garment workers were paid higher than minimum wage.

The brand attracted a specific kind of employee – one who looked a certain way, had a certain attitude, and generally didn’t have much retail experience.

Many of the former employees in the documentary say they were hired on the spot, one even wearing a shirt she had stolen from American Apparel previously.

Who is Dov Charney?

Dov is the founder and former CEO of American Apparel. He opened the brand’s first store in 2003, and just six years later there were over 280 American Apparel stores around the world.

The documentary paints Dov as somewhat of a cult leader, one who believed in long working hours, sleeping with employees, and inviting his staff to live with him in his mansion.

So-called ‘Dov Girls’ were Dov’s representatives when he wasn’t around. They would deliver messages, live with him in his home, and have interpersonal relationships with the CEO.

“I’m not saying I want to screw all the girls at work,” he told Jane magazine at the time. “But if I fall in love at work it’s going to be beautiful and sexual.”

Downfall

American Apparel was once one of the largest garment manufacturers in the US, with one of the fastest expansion programmes in the world.

However, Dov’s unwillingness to listen to criticism and business advice meant that the company was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2015.

This came after Dov himself was removed from his position following allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault from past employees.

Footage in the documentary depicts Dov walking around the office in his underwear while staff are present, while anonymous accounts report being sexually assaulted and harassed by Dov during their time at the company.

American Apparel still exists today, though the brand’s popularity has seriously waned over the years. It is now owned by Canadian brand, Gildan Activewear, and most of its garments are made in Honduras and Nicaragua.

Where is Dov Charney now?

The kicker of the documentary came in its final moments, when it was revealed that Dov later set up a new company, Los Angeles Apparel, and more recently worked with Kanye West’s fashion brand, Yeezy.

Charney bought most of LA Apparel’s sewing machines in the American Apparel bankruptcy sale. He was spotted shopping with Kanye in Japan a few years ago.

A representative for Dov confirmed that Charney will be opening the first Los Angeles Apparel store this summer in New York City.

They added that Dov had been misrepresented in the documentary, “relying on paid actors to emotionally restate long-disproven allegations. No credible insiders—including Charney himself—participated in the production.” 

“Charney has never been found liable for any misconduct—sexual harassment or otherwise—by any judge, jury, arbitrator, or independent investigation,” they added.