It was something many people saw coming. Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel, was ousted as CEO last spring, but was allowed to stay on as a consultant. Now it seems that Charney has been given the boot even in that role.
There were allegations of sexual harassment against Charney and other forms of shady behavior. While none of these rose to a full blown case, Charney was seen as impulsive and irresponsible. As his role as consultant, he created sleezy back to school ads making models dress as fetishy schoolgirls.
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The ads created outcry to the point where a British children’s charity advocated a boycott of American Apparel. Well, perhaps it wasn’t for this reason, but the message is clear; the Board of American Apparel is sick of Charney and doesn’t want him there even as a consultant, to the point where a recent press release honoring the new CEO doesn’t even mention him by name.
Business Insider reports that Paula Schneider, formerly of Warnaco, is going to be the new CEO. She has a proven track record at that company for improving brands and for managing the corporate structure well. She said, “My goal is to make American Apparel a better company, while staying true to its core values of quality and creativity and preserving its sweatshop free, Made in the USA manufacturing philosophy.”
David Danzinger, co-chairman of the board, said, “This company needs a permanent CEO who can bring stability and strong leadership in this time of transition, and we believe Ms. Danzinger fits the bill perfectly.”
