Michael Stanton Jeffries is an American businessman who was CEO of clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014. During Jeffries' tenure, Abercrombie & Fitch grew from a "fashion backwater" losing $25 million yearly to a lifestyle brand grossing $2 billion yearly by 2006. Jeffries was criticized for using semi-nude models in his company's advertising, selling clothes with racially and sexually insensitive slogans, and his candid stance that Abercrombie & Fitch marketed solely to the "cool kids".
A&F's "Models" opening a new store in 2012. Photo demonstrates the shirtless male hunk that characterized the store's "sexualized marketing" during Jeffries 22-year reign. "The marketing approach that made A&F into a financial success also made it an HR and PR nightmare".
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on contemporary clothing. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of February 2020, the company operated 854 stores across all its brands.
Abercrombie store on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
Cover of A&F catalog from 1909
The Marquess of Camarasa wearing Abercrombie & Fitch hunting equipment in the Arctic Circle, 1921
Abercrombie & Fitch models in August 2012
