Not all it ‘seams’: the weird way Brandy Melville hires and fires
A new documentary, “Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion”, has taken the internet by storm… and now more ex-employees are revealing the controversial processes of the popular brand.
Since the first store opened in 2009, fashion retailer Brandy Melville has built a cult following. The brand, once synonymous with cool, ‘It Girl’ trends, burst onto the scene with their unique ‘one size fits all’ USP, claiming accessibility and inclusivity for all. However, one look at their marketing tells a different story…
Images posted to the brand’s social media and website mainly show teenage girls whose ultra-slim, pre-adult bodies are perfectly designed for the brand’s ‘one size fits all’ (but not really) clothing. Picture beachy waves, perfectly white smiles, neutral colours, and absolutely no-one over a size 6.
People of colour are also rarely, if ever, seen on promotional pictures or working in stores. “If she was Black, if she was fat … he didn’t want them in the store,” said former senior vice president, Luca Rotondo, speaking about CEO Stephan Marsan in an interview with Business Insider.
This was a common theme in the Brandy Melville universe. According to ex-employees, and a new documentary that premiered this week, behind the scenes of the popular brand lies dark, twisted exclusivity.
Firing
“Every day we had to send emails with images of each individual person’s outfit,” says ex-employee Bri. She explains that no-one knew where the photos were going, or why they had to be taken. Other former employees have stated that executives claimed the images were for “brand research,” however, it is alleged that they were actually used to determine the quality of their employees. Former employee Natessa says, “It turns out they were being sent to the 40-year-old CEOs of the company who would judge all our looks.”
Business Insider’s article references a text thread between CEO Marsan and Rotondo which proves that if outfits weren’t ‘up to standard’ the former would order them to be fired. Referring to one employee’s photo he had been sent, Marsan replied, “cacciala,” which is Italian for “kick her out.”
Hiring
Employees said it didn’t stop there. “They asked us to take pictures of customers,” says Bri, explaining that new hires did not apply via job postings, but rather were “scouted” in store.
They told employees to “keep an eye out for girls with cute style”, who they would then approach, take photos of, and send their details to head office. “99.9% of the time, all the girls said yes and were so excited”.
Thinking back on her time at Brandy Melville, Bri says, “I don’t think we ever hired someone off of their resumé.”
Creative plagiarism
A story about a manager who was intrigued by Bri’s cheetah-print turtleneck top points to a distinct lack of morals… and creativity. Two weeks after her manager had taken a photo of her top, the store was suddenly filled with “a whole rack of cheetah-print turtlenecks that Brandy Melville came out with.”
Other ex-employees have alleged similar stories of creative plagiarism. “They are heavily influenced by their employees’ styles, and they like to take that ‘as inspiration,’” says Bri. “Am I saying Brandy copied my top? Maybe,” she admits.
Like most of the employees featured in the documentary, and others who have since come forward with their experiences, Bri didn’t think working at Brandy Melville was anything other than normal… “but,” she says, “looking back I realise it was really fucking weird.”
“Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion” is available to watch on HBO Max.
