If you were in a mall in the early-to-mid 2000s, there was a very good chance you came upon a store with the overwhelming scent of musk and over-the-top synth beats, featuring unrealistic mannequins and models who looked like they would bully you in the lunchroom. That would be Abercrombie and Fitch!
The clothing brand has a notorious history of being racist and overly sexual for a teen brand, and just generally offensive. But, for some reason, they were the brand of the early 2000s. And now, Netflix is taking a closer look at this company’s controversial history. It turns out it’s much worse than we all thought!
Netflix’s doc will go in-depth into the complicated history of the brand. As per the official description, “All the cool kids were wearing it. This documentary explores A&F’s pop culture reign in the late ’90s and early 2000s and how it thrived on exclusion.”
The company was known for its numerous discriminatory lawsuits and overpriced t-shirts with offensive sayings. The documentary will feature former A&F employees (who, at one point, were referred to as “models”) speaking out against the brand, which still exists, by the way, and recently launched a TikTok-inspired line in order to appeal to Gen Z. When the company has been around for over 100 years, it’s bound to do some pretty wacky stuff.
White Hot: The Rise And Fall Of Abercrombie And Fitch premieres April 19th on Netflix. Check out the trailer above.