AP
アバクロンビー&フィッチ（Abercrombie & Fitch : A&F） CEO マイク・ジェフリーズ氏は黒い色を非常に嫌っているため、ブラックカラーの商品を店で扱うことと従業員の着用を禁止しているとのことだ。違反は許されないらしい。
販売店は、Business Insiderにアバクロンビーはブラックカラーの衣料品を販売していないことを認めた。オハイオ州コロンバスの本社および他の店舗では、従業員はブラックカラーを着用しないように言われている―ウィンター・コートの場合でさえも。その理由はジェフリーズ氏が黒い色を嫌悪しているからだとBusiness InsiderにA&Fの従業員は語った。
「アバクロンビー&フィッチはブラックカラーの衣料品を販売しておりません。また本社と店舗での着用は控えるようにしています。我々はカジュアルなライフスタイルのブランドで、黒い色の衣料品はフォーマルな印象を持つと考えているためです」と同社はBusiness Insiderに対して説明した。「我々は黒い色に反感を持っているわけではありません。タキシードなどのフォーマルな衣類に最適だと思っています」
ブラックカラーは一般的にドレス、デニム、そしてジョニー・キャッシュ（愛称：マン・イン・ブラック）に使用されると非常に見栄えのする色だが、現場主義のCEOはそういったものを必要としていない。A&Fの購買者には、ブラックの代わりにダークネイビーという選択肢がある。
現時点で、同社の代表からこれ以上のコメントを得ることはできなかった。
自身のブランドを限界まで排他的にしようとの試みによりジェフリーズ氏は評判が悪い。A&Fの女性衣料には XLとXXLサイズがない。ジェフリーズ氏が2006年にSalon（サロン）に語った（『クールな若者』にだけ自分の店で買い物をして欲しい、とはっきりと述べた）コメントが5月に再び脚光を浴び、同店舗の排他的なやり方について論議が起きた。ジェフリーズ氏はこれに対し、このコメントは文脈から切りはなして解釈されたもので言葉の選択を誤ったことを後悔していると述べている。
ジェフリーズ氏は5月、自身のFacebookで次のように述べている。「A&Fは他の大多数の専門的なアパレルブランド同様に向上心のあるブランドで、特定の顧客層をマーケティングのターゲットにしています。我々はあらゆる差別、いじめ、特性蔑視、そして人種、性別、体格、その他の個人的特徴に基く反社会的行動に全面的に反対しています」
A&Fは同5月、2013年第1四半期の売上が17%落ち同社の利益予測を引き下げることになったと発表した。
関連記事
Abercrombie & Fitch Scandal Timeline
(01 of09)
In 2006, Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries said in an interview with Salon that his brand is \"absolutely\" \"exclusionary\" and only \"want[s] to market to cool, good-looking people.\" (credit:Getty Images)
(02 of09)
\"Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don\'t alienate anybody, but you don\'t excite anybody, either,\" Jeffries said in the interview with Salon. (credit:Getty Images)
(03 of09)
In May 2013, Business Insider resurfaced Jeffries\' comments in an interview with Robin Lewis, co-author of the recent book \"The New Rules of Retail.\" Lewis claims that Jeffries doesn\'t \"want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people,\" as evidenced by the sexy man on this billboard. (credit:Getty Images)
(04 of09)
After awhile, Jeffries decided to issue this statement and posted it to Facebook. (credit:Facebook)
(05 of09)
But most people really didn\'t buy it.
(06 of09)
Some people took their comments a bit too far.
(07 of09)
While others, decided to keep their posts simple.
(08 of09)
Eventually, Abercrombie was forced to issue yet another apology. Teen activists went to Abercrombie\'s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to protest Jeffries. After meeting with the activists, Abercrombie issued a statement stating that the brand is committed to \"anti-bullying in addition to our ongoing support of diversity and inclusion.\" (credit:Getty Images)
(09 of09)
The end. For now. (credit:Getty Images)
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