Kai Braden’s First Day at Abercrombie & Fitch in 2006
Kai Braden, a young model, started working at an Abercrombie & Fitch store in 2006. On his first day, he was sat down to watch an onboarding video, but instead of learning how to fold shirts or work the register, he was shown a corporate-produced montage of shirtless men in various stages of undress. Braden was puzzled, wondering what this had to do with his job.
As it turned out, his responsibilities as a sales associate at Abercrombie included standing outside the store, wearing revealing clothing, and attempting to entice customers with his physique. At the time, Abercrombie was known for its hypersexualized environment, with thumping club music, moody lighting, and sweet perfumes.
As a mixed-race model, Braden “felt like the token Asian.” The majority of greeters were white, and Black and Latino workers were relegated to folding shirts behind the scenes, where they would not be seen by customers. This lack of diversity and inclusivity was deeply ingrained in Abercrombie’s DNA.
As a model, Braden was paid $100 to stand outside the store for four hours, which was a significant income for an 18-year-old. However, he soon discovered that customers often crossed a line, grabbing and pulling him in, which made him feel uncomfortable. Abercrombie did not provide training on how to handle non-consensual touching, leaving its models vulnerable.
Bradon’s experience at Abercrombie was a representative of the fashion industry’s dark side: exploitative, exclusionary, and prone to assign a high value to the labor of young, vulnerable workers. In recent years, he has become an advocate for the protection of models, working to secure important safeguards for workers in the industry.
Abercrombie eventually banned “sexualized marketing” in 2015, ending the need for shirtless greeters. The brand has since shifted its focus to more classic, tailored clothes, which has led to increased sales and brand recognition. However, the ghosts of Abercrombie’s past continue to haunt the company, with allegations of sexual harassment, exploitation, and mistreatment of models resurfacing.
Today, Braden is an advocate for the protection of models, campaigning for labor rights and safeguards. He believes that by acknowledging the mistreatment of models, the industry can grow and improve.
