Tipped off by a reader who’d seen a scathing HBO documentary about it, this reporter needed to personally witness Michigan’s first Brandy Melville clothing store, which opened June 1.
News of the opening had clearly already reached its intended youthful market: On a Friday afternoon, I was the oldest and heaviest person among the three dozen girls and women shopping and working there on a Friday afternoon.
“They’re a very, like, non-reporter-slash-advertising company. They love the word-of-mouth,” says an employee who was willing to speak briefly on condition of anonymity.
She says the store has been at least this crowded since its launch, drawing shoppers from throughout the region eager for Brandy Melville’s average-priced, casual fashions in mostly neutral hues and small sizes. It employs about thirty people, mostly student part-timers who match the target customer profile, she adds.
“We hide some of our colors behind other things, but I think the premise is definitely like just neutral cotton basics you can kind of get paired with anything,” she explains. “A lot of girls have been coming in here wanting specifically, like, navy, white, Ann Arbor, Michigan graphics.”
The international company established in Italy has about forty-two stores and 3.1 million Instagram followers in the U.S. The recent documentary, Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion, accuses the company of racism, sexism, sizeism, and exploiting workers.
The employee says that doesn’t match her experience. “I’m definitely a sensitive person, so I couldn’t survive in a hostile environment. I just think every company kind of has its pros and cons,” she says. Besides, “most brands kind of are fast fashion, in my opinion.”
Brandy Melville, 3070 Washtenaw Ave., ste. 103 (Arbor Hills). (734) 585–5201. Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. us.brandymelville.com
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