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Netflix will soon chronicle Mike Jeffries and his controversies in the upcoming documentary White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, that will take the audience back to 2000's fashion once again. Abercrombie & Fitch dominated the clothing industry back in the 2000's and it was a craze in high schools, absolutely indispensable when it came to creating a social image.
However, the gigantic brand got mixed up in some sandal and Netflix's White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch is all set to chronicle that. The clothing line, once a highly sought-after brand, faced backlash and turmoil over its image but somehow still managed to remain in business.
The upcoming documentary features the rise and fall of the brand and will flesh out the accusations and activities that it got embroiled in.
Who is Mike Jeffries? His time in Abercrombie & Fitch explored
Mike Jeffries became CEO of Abercrombie way back in 1992, when the brand was emerging as a popular casual wear line. Jeffries, with his strategic planning and firm hold over the company, soon turned the brand into a retail powerhouse.
He did so by popularizing the Abercrombie logo all over its items and focusing on a more casual esthetic fashion, along with featuring the clothing items with racy advertising.
The clothing line became a sensation and was targeted towards American school-going teens, and advertised such that it became an essential brand to wear if one wanted to be a 'cool kid.'
Mike Jeffries thus made Abercrombie seem like an exclusive club that sold clothing at steep prices. What worked in favor of the brand was provocative advertising. The company advertised its clothing in a racy, alluring light which made it even more attractive for teens and young adults.
Jeffries' strategy worked for a long time and it turned Abercrombie into a status symbol that nearly every teenager in America sought to attain. During Jeffries' first two years with the company, the sales doubled to $165 million, and by 1999, sales topped the $1 billion mark.
But Mike Jeffries' strategy did not work for too long. Cash-strapped teens grew tired of wearing logos and started opting for cheaper brands such as Forever 21 and H&M. Moreover, teens started spending money on other spaces, like cafes and restaurants, and nobody cared much about clothing brands anymore.
With Abercrombie & Fitch facing a decline in sales, CEO Mike Jeffries, in 2014, stepped down from his position as CEO after more than two decades of association with the brand.
Why did Abercrombie & Fitch fall?
What led to the fall of Abercrombie & Fitch was not just public interest that began to change but also controversy and lawsuits. The brand received public backlash from Asian Americans for depicting Asian stereotypes. A suit was also filed against the company for allegedly discriminating against African Americans, Asian Americans, and other minority employees.
It was reported that the company was not hiring employees if they did not fit a certain look. This fit in with Mike Jeffries' claim that the brand only hires 'good-looking people' as they would attract other good-looking people who fit a certain beauty standard. This discrimination and exclusivity became the downfall of Abercrombie & Fitch.
Catch the upcoming Netflix documentary chronicling the rise and fall of the iconic clothing line on April 19, 2022.
