Dive Brief:
-
In an interview with the New York Times Sunday, American Apparel CEO Paula Schneider revealed much of her approach to turning around the embattled retailer.
-
Schneider says that she’s adding more planners at the company’s Los Angeles factories to bring up the level of professionalism and order.
-
She says the company has done away with its “borderline pornographic” marketing approach but is determined to keep its edge.
Dive Insight:
Schneider has inherited a wealth of challenges: American Apparel has been struggling for years, and this summer’s battles with founder and former CEO Dov Charney have cost the company dearly, both in terms of money and focus. That chapter hasn’t yet closed either; Charney may still be working on a return, and the retailer may be sold.
Still, Schneider’s approach bodes well; she seems to be working to conserve the retailer’s strengths — its edge, its made-in-America factories — while doing away with its infamies.
