Abercrombie and Fitch built a retail juggernaut by bringing city clubs to suburban retail: heavily perfumed and dimly lit, their storefronts were often flanked by shirtless men.
Last year, a BBC documentary investigated accusations of sex trafficking against Mike Jeffries, the ex-CEO responsible for the outdoors apparel’s rebrand. Male models were allegedly recruited and intimidated into sex acts at parties hosted by Jeffries and his partner, Matthew Smith. One year after the documentary aired, Jeffries was charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool, directed by Film alum Ed McGown ’08, was lauded for bringing men’s stories of sexual exploitation into the ongoing #MeToo movement. The film went on to win the category of Social Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion Journalism at the 13th British Journalism Awards.
McGown accepted the award alongside reporter Rianna Croxford, who spent two years investigating the allegations against Jeffries. McGown’s directing credits include documentaries for Netflix, BBC, Sky and Channel 4.
The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool is currently streaming on BBC Select. Subscriptions are available through Apple TV+ and Prime Video.