Abercrombie investigating “black models sent home before CEO visit” allegations

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) are investigating allegations that black models were sent home early before visits from the CEO Mike Jeffries.

The allegations have stemmed from an employee who has written anonymously about her experiences for xoJane.com. The female US store model writes: “Because my store was the ‘flagship’ store, the CEO frequently visited us. When he did visit, managers went out of their way to ensure that the models on the floor were the cream of the crop. Unfortunately, this usually meant the thinnest, tallest, and whitest models.

“On one particularly horrifying instance, most of the black models were sent home an hour early before their shifts ended and before Jeffries was scheduled to visit. One of the models complained to the confidential company hotline of racism on the manager’s part, and the security team conducted an investigation.

“The manager, of course, denied any racial bias. Unfortunately the investigation led nowhere, because there wasn’t enough ‘substantial evidence’ to prove that her actions were racially motivated.”

The article goes on to highlight other instances of discrimination based on employees’ looks and also highlights that she was a victim of “sexual advances by customers on a regular basis” due to the uniform that models must wear. A&F is well-known for its controversial use of attractive sales assistants and topless models at shop openings and in adverts.

Speaking to The Independent, a spokesperson for the firm says: “A&F has a longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. We take any allegations of this nature very seriously, and are investigating this matter.”

This comes as A&F were recently criticised in the US Supreme Court for not hiring a woman because she wore a black headscarf.