Edgy clothing label American Apparel bets its no-brand strategy can win over new fans in China

Let's Talk About Sex

Despite a delayed entrance into the Shanghai market, American Apparel has finally opened its doors in the chic 1933 complex. In the hyper-sexual world of fashion, few ad campaigns build as much controversy as American Apparel's, but that doesn't mean the brand plans on changing anything for a more conservative Chinese market. The United States' largest clothing manufacturer plans to stick to the formula that has brought it international acclaim: there will be no visible brand labels, all the clothing will be manufactured at the same Los Angeles factory, staff in China will be paid fair wages and, of course, CEO Dov Charney's sexy photos of models and employees will continue to titillate from their brightly lit store windows. "China is much more open-minded than people think," says China Resident Director of American Apparel Wei Su. "We are still going to be edgy and sexy in China."

No Brand, No Brawn?

The 30-year-old Beijing native, who runs American Apparel's operations in China, embodies the label's young, hip identity. Over the phone, she pauses before articulating her real concern about the Chinese market: "What is a bigger issue is the absence of the brand label. That's the biggest challenge." While most international brands tend to only make their labels bigger and gaudier upon entering the Chinese market, American Apparel will keep its tags subtle. If successful, the decision may mark a major change in urban Chinese fashion. "Young people in China are becoming more sophisticated," explains Wei. "We've been out and seen the world, and we don't need a giant brand label to tell us what we want. Ultimately, we're not just selling a dress or a shirt," Wei enthuses, "we're selling a lifestyle." But this lifestyle comes at a price, RMB188 for a jersey T-shirt, RMB102 for knee-high tube socks--will value win out over bragging rights? If the masses are willing to make the sojourn to 1933 for a sweatshop-free tank vest, we'll have our answer.

Blake Stone-Banks