Clothing and fashion merchandising has acquired a strong attachment to culture as it’s advertised on a global scale; however, due to the dense enrichment of this commodity, critics and consumers have questioned fast fashion immorality, particularly targeting one brand: Brandy Melville.
2009 was the year to be a teenage girl. A new clothing line, Brandy Melville, had just begun to engulf itself into the most wanted list of apparel. With an emphasis on subtle design and charming patterns, the store has established a global impression, making $332 million a year, according to Zippia. However, despite the company’s success, there has been recent discussion criticizing its peculiar size restrictions.
A recent article by The Wall Street Journal revealed a disturbing truth about Brandy Melville. It caters only to “thin girls,” a practice that’s been labeled a “status symbol” that declares a person’s worth based on a size measurement.
This assertion is not just fallacious but also deeply unsettling. Brandy Melville indeed only supplies consumers with one size, verbatim of their motto, “One size fits all.” This leaves many consumers feeling excluded and undervalued.
A recently debuted documentary streaming on HBO, ‘Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion’ explored the depths of discrimination, racism, and sexualization surrounding the popular clothing brand; although these have since come to light, their impact remains minuscule.
Aside from creating an impressive establishment, the founder of the brand, Stephen Marsan, has also created an evidently toxic work environment for current and former employees. In an investigative article written by The Wrap, the article included commentary from the director of the documentary, Eva Orner.
Orner commented on the process of finding testimonials and former employees; she expressed a sense of shock after finding that it became difficult to find willing advocates. “‘I spoke to hundreds and reached out to hundreds of girls, young women, ex-employees at Brandy. Most of them were scared to talk, scared of retribution, scared of the company, scared of [founder] Stephan [Marsan].’”
Overwhelmed by the lack of comfortable volunteers, Orner ignited an even bigger discussion. She acknowledged the people who ended up joining her in the creation of the documentary saying, “‘They’re my heroes, the women in this film who just said ‘yes.’ There’s a lot of power in young women … and instead of being manipulated by companies to do this fake advertising for them where they’re not even paid, turn it into something more powerful.’”
Despite efforts to drop the curtain, revealing the truth behind Brandy Melville, and in turn, weakening their fanbase, the popularity that was established nearly 15 years ago remains undefeated. However, with a growth in people coming out to shine a light on the unspoken aspects of the company, these individual experiences are reaching some. Whether it’s someone who used to religiously support the brand, or one who hadn’t heard of it, nonetheless, it’s one less person walking through the door.