YOu HaVe bEeN CITeD

http://www.americanapparel.net/legalizegay/

http://www.dovcharney.com/

http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/profile.html

!@#$%LeGaLiZe It^*%$#

American Apparel believes that sexuality should be celebrated, not condemned. But they feel that Proposition 8 is just that, a condemnation of the basic right of marriage of an entire group of people based on their sexuality. American Apparel is proud to stand against Prop 8 and what it represents. In November of 2008 their Legalize Gay shirt was originally printed to give to protesters at rallies and marches. The response was so overwhelming, the shitrts are now in stores and online. With many of their employees and customers identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, the company is vocal about their support for the protection of gay rights. Many of their employees were on the frontlines of protests in Los Angeles, handing out hundreds of Legalize Gay t-shirts to supporters, and they donated over $17,000 worth of these shirts to protestors, Harvey Milk High School in New York City and local gay-interest businesses. They plan on donating at least 1,000 more to organizations that support marriage equality, and are currently discussing potential projects with GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco.

WOrDs fRom ThE MaN! Dov Charney

I am an intuitive designer. I put it on and I see if it's tight or not. I love the touch of fabric. I've seen photographs of Yves Saint Laurent in a fitting and I thought, "That's how we do it!" I try on all my underwear designs before they go into production. I am very pleased by the rapid expansion of American Apparel this year and the continued momentum our business is enjoying worldwide. I have welcomed a large number of new employees into the family this year, and am happy that in so they have are able to earn decent livelihood for themselves and their families. American Apparel now employs 10,000 people across the world and about 4,500 in our home of downtown Los Angeles. This year we're on track to export more clothes internationally than we have ever before, meaning we're sending Made in USA clothes to China, Europe, Australia and South America. I am particularly proud that so many of our long-standing manufacturing employees have become shareholders in American Apparel which means they now have a direct stake in American Apparel's financial success.

American History

Brief History, The original founder of American Apparel is Dov Charney, he has remained the majority shareholder and CEO. American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer, based in downtown Los Angeles, California. The company shoots and distributes its own advertisements, often using its own employees as subjects. It also owns and operates each of its retail locations as opposed to franchising. According to the management, the vertically integrated model allows the company to design, cut, distribute and sell an item globally in the span of a week. They currently employ roughly 10,000 people globally, and operate more than 260 retail stores in 19 countries. Every aspect ranging from knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, photography, marketing, distribution, and design all happen within house at their facilities in Los Angeles. American Apparel operates the largest garment factory in the United States. While continuing to pioneer industry standards of social and environmental responsibility in the workplace, American Apparel’s unequivocal art, design and technology has allowed them to advance the business process.