AN American activist is hitting back at the "elitism" of fashion label Abercrombie & Fitch by buying its clothes at charity shops and giving them to homeless people.
Writer Greg Karber says he is "upset" by the label's refusal to make clothes for larger-sized women and by comments made by its CEO Mike Jeffries that he was only interested in the "cool and popular kids".
"We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends," Jeffries told Salon. "A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely."
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More recently, Abercrombie & Fitch has said it would make a "substantial payment" to an American reality TV star if he would stop wearing its "aspirational" clothes. The label said that Jersey Shore cast member Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino was damaging the brand by wearing A&F garments.
The label has a flagship store in London, but its plans to expand its presence were quashed in February when it was refused council permission to turn a listed building in Savile Row into a children's clothes shop.
Karber believes his campaign achieves two aims: providing homeless people with free clothes and "readjusting" the Abercrombie & Fitch brand. He wants people to follow his lead wherever the label's clothes are sold.
"I want people to no longer associate Abercrombie & Fitch with cool clothing… They're not hip nor sexy," he claims.
