Dive Brief:
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American Apparel Thursday fired its creative directors, Iris Alonzo and Marsha Brady.
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Alonzo, a longtime supporter of former founder-CEO Dov Charney, had been fired and re-hired months ago, during the retailer’s summer of high drama.
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There is much speculation about the reason behind the firings, but the company has not provided any reason publicly.
Dive Insight:
There are many factors that may have contributed to American Apparel’s cutting ties to its longtime creative directors. Iris Alonzo in particular is seen as a Dov Charney “lieutenant” and has reportedly advocated strongly for workers at the retailer’s Los Angeles-based factories.
But new CEO Paula Schneider has promised a new era of streamlined business and less overtly sexual marketing and merchandising, and some sources have said all this is a turn in a new direction. Despite ongoing chatter about Charney’s potential re-takeover of the company he founded, Schneider continues to make her mark.
