The fashion world has been rocked by the arrest of Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, on charges of running a prostitution and international sex trafficking ring. This shocking development marks a dramatic fall from grace for the man who once transformed the struggling brand into a billion-dollar empire.
Jeffries, alongside his partner Matthew Smith and alleged middleman James Jacobson, faces accusations of leveraging their power and influence within the fashion industry to lure individuals into a multi-million dollar sex trafficking operation. The FBI launched its investigation last year after receiving reports of the couple’s alleged exploitation of men.
According to US Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, Jeffries and Smith used their wealth and status as the CEO of A&F to exploit men. Jacobson, allegedly posing as a recruiter, would entice men with promises of opportunities, leading them into sexual acts for money. These men were then flown to Jeffries and Smith’s New York home, where they were allegedly pressured to consume alcohol, Viagra, and muscle relaxants.
The indictment lists 15 men, but the documents suggest the operation was much larger, with Jeffries allegedly spending millions of dollars to maintain its secrecy. Jeffries, 80, has been released on a $10 million bail, while Jacobson, 71, was granted a $500,000 bail. Smith, 61, remains detained.
As Jeffries and his alleged accomplices face these serious accusations, the A&F brand is grappling with the lasting impact of its association with its former CEO. The scandal raises concerns about the brand’s past marketing practices and whether they contributed to a culture of exploitation.
Founded in 1892, A&F was originally a luxury sports outfitter. But when Jeffries took over as CEO in 1992, he shifted the focus to the teenage market, embracing a strategy of “sexualized marketing.” This involved using shirtless male models in advertising and in stores, a tactic that generated significant controversy.
Jeffries’s vision proved successful. He transformed A&F from a struggling brand to a billion-dollar empire by 2006. However, his strategy came at a cost. The overtly sexualized marketing, often seen as objectifying and targeting a very narrow demographic, attracted criticism from feminists, Christian groups, and other social activists. The brand also faced accusations of anti-Asian hate, negative stereotypes of working-class Americans, and misogyny.
In a 2003 class action lawsuit, Black, Latino, and Asian Americans alleged that minority applicants were actively discouraged from applying for modeling roles. Jeffries’s own comments in a 2006 Salon interview further exposed his elitist views. He openly stated that A&F targeted only “cool, good-looking people” and considered those who didn’t fit that mold as “uncool.”
These statements, which went largely unnoticed at the time, resurfaced in 2013 as A&F struggled to maintain its early 2000s success. Jeffries’s refusal to lower prices or take a pay cut, even as the company faced significant financial difficulties, further damaged the brand’s reputation.
In 2013, A&F’s share price plummeted 40%, leading to calls for Jeffries’s departure. He finally stepped down in 2014, after receiving a $1 million annual lifetime bonus payment.
Since Jeffries’s departure, A&F has attempted to distance itself from his controversial legacy. The brand has shifted away from hyper-sexualized marketing and embraced a more inclusive approach. While A&F hasn’t yet reached its pre-financial crisis heights, its subsidiary brand Hollister Co. has found success with a younger audience.
The arrest of Mike Jeffries on sex trafficking charges adds a dark chapter to the story of Abercrombie & Fitch. It remains to be seen how this scandal will impact the brand’s future and whether it can fully recover from the damage caused by its former CEO’s alleged actions.