We have all our cabinets in these T-shirts 100% cotton cut well, with bright colors, which have gradually dethroned our dear little boat. American Apparel has become in a short time the temple of the basic logo but no ultra branch. They are recognized among all these t-shirts that have revolutionized the world of cotton mesh.

Adventure American Apparel is above all a man, a passion, a feeling. Dov Charney Canadian Jewish grand son of architect and son of Sylvia Safdie (painter), felt very quickly, seeing his buddies get a lot of money selling t-shirts at the end of concerts, that there was a good business. However, the idealistic young Dov is a duplicate of a perfectionist, and poor quality T-shirts Canadian not satisfied: he wants the 100% cotton and therefore it can not find the USA.

Indeed, we are in the middle of the 80 and the leading company in the market of t-shirt, Hanes, created a sensation by offering an ultra resistant, XXL and unisex, but little becoming. The tee-shirt that time is normal, basic, and does not think like a fashion accessory. Dov Charney takes flight to America, convinced the secret of finding the perfect cotton jersey.

It was in South Carolina he will land, the cradle of U.S. Textile and more accurate production of t-shirt. He created his mark, American Heavy, and spent eight years working with these skilled workers, proud of their expertise. However, it is still far from the trendy spirit of American Apparel… This will wait for the textile industries in the south be relocated to Mexico, which will push Dov Charney on the road in search of an innovative idea, a revolutionary concept

By observing the American South Miami that a revelation: the girls wear T-shirts ajustes that make them incredibly sexy. It decided, for him the time of rectangles oversize T-shirts are gone, so it will produce a product designed for women and designed for her. He developed a cotton more extensible than those used on the market, and cut more narrow: the baby is not T, American Apparel was born.

Competitors are skeptical, but Dov Charney knows that it is in the air. Urban fashion trend exceeds surfing, hip-hop emerge, style evolves youth, girls do not come out in a T-shirt XXL but small bite of their little sisters. In spite of this blatant change of youth and its visitor attractions, Charney is the only one to follow suit.

The leaders of the textile Hanes and Fruit of the Loom refuse to change course of action, and continue to treat the tee as a mass product. The word designer is unknown to them, while for Dov Charney is one of the cornerstones of his label. He set up his workshop and his office in Los Angeles and is a creative team of heterogeneous: Japanese designers rub shoulders with former call girls, and later stars in search of good deeds.

For Dov Charney is certainly a businessman, but his conception of the world of work exceeds the unbounded pursuit of profit, he wants to coexist well-being of its employees and its financial success. Its philosophy lies in the words of Paul Hawken: The ultimate purpose of business is not – or should not be – simply to make money. The purpose of trade is to improve the general welfare of humankind through service, creative invention and deontology.

In spite of feeling like a run against the current, Dov Charney will try to live differently capitalism:

His tee-shirts are T-shirts equitable. Indeed, it is producing all the collections of American Apparel in its workshops in California. It outsources nothing. With the implementation of its plants in Los Angeles, he made a living of the population.

He pays his workers well, more than the union minimum. For him, if his workers are happy at work, the company will never look better. They offer free English classes so that immigrants can integrate the better.

Environmental issues of concern, so that all its T-shirts are now being made in 100% organic cotton, and that the remnants retrieved from the workshops are fully recycled.

By posting significant growth, fast and dynamic, Dov Charney has proved before the world that offshoring, poverty wages and working conditions are not the hateful inevitable for the success of a business. American Apparel has become in 12 years the largest textile manufacturer in the USA.

This speech, this ethic are fly. The Americans are affected by this stance has cons-foot sweatshops (sweatshops used by some major labels to produce their goods at lower cost). They are adherent and T-shirts American Apparel an essential element of their wardrobe. The Europeans are getting into little by little, even if the brand is still known to only a certain medium of insiders.

Catalogs of the mark, which use no model pro and they prefer the cosmopolitan diversity of today’s youth, through the course everything is possible for some executives of the chain – which the status of illegal immigrants access the position Head shop – Dov Charney has made his business a little bubble commercial international vocation and plugged, while remaining a convinced idealist.

From now on American Apparel stores throughout Europe, the collections affect women, men, children and even dogs Recently, the product lines have expanded (always in the same 100% organic cotton): one finds scarves, dresses, sweatshirts, stickers with the logo only authorized by the chief: the little label in the neck Made in Los Angeles.

Shops:

41, rue du Temple 75004 Paris

7, 75006 Paris Street Gozlin

10, rue Beaurepaire 75010 Paris

31, place du Marche Saint-Honore 75001 Paris