The Abercrombie Guys: 2. Who is Mike Jeffries?

World Of Secrets

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary

4.7 • 765 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2023

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

He made Abercrombie and Fitch a millennial megabrand, marketing "sexy clothes on sexy people”, as one former colleague of Mike Jeffries put it.

At home he had model-like men washing his cars and staff to chauffeur his dogs around. But what else was going on at his Hamptons mansion? “There was something about it that was strange,” according to a former staffer, “why wouldn’t anyone talk about it?” Rianna decides to investigate.

Have you got a story to tell? Email [email protected]. Let us know what you think of the season using the hashtag #WorldofSecrets

This podcast refers to sexual abuse and contains interviews that some listeners may find upsetting, as well as some occasional strong language. If you've been affected by any of the issues in this series, please contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

World of Secrets: Season 1 - The Abercrombie Guys is presented and investigated by Rianna Croxford Series Producers: Ruth Evans and Alys Harte Senior Producer: Emma Close Development Producer: Hannah Livingston Investigation Editor: Ed Campbell Podcast Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Executive Editor: Emma Rippon Studio Engineers: Neil Churchill, Andy Fell, Gareth Jones, and Ali Rezakhani Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill Commissioning Editor: Dylan Haskins Commissioning Executive: Louise Kattenhorn Assistant Commissioner: Natasha Johansson

Archive: CBS: Sharon Chin report (9th May 2013) Warner Bros: Ellen DeGeneres - (May 2013) BBC: Sophie Hutchison news report (24th Jun 2009) BBC: Hugh Schofield news report (26 July 2013) International Business Times: A&F Company outlook (24th May 2013) Bloomberg: Report on Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries to Step Down (9th Dec 2014) Bloomberg: Jeffrey Hayzlett joins Trish Ragen and Adam Johnson on Bloomberg's Street Smart (9th Mar 2013) NBC: Report on ‘half-naked models’ (30/11/2002) Fox News: The O’Reilly Factor Report on Abercrombie & Fitch marketing (1st Dec 2015) BBC: BBC 4- Love Thy Neighbour (14th Oct 2008) This podcast is made in collaboration with BBC Panorama. If you are in the UK, you can watch Panorama: The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool on BBC iPlayer now, or on BBC Select if you are in the in the US. World of Secrets: Season 1 - The Abercrombie Guys is a BBC Long Form Audio production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're about to listen to a BBC podcast and maybe it's when I had a hand in.
0:04.0	I'm Tammy Walker and I produce podcasts for the BBC.
0:08.0	My role is to give new and diverse creators a voice with the opportunity to build a career.
0:12.0	That's the thing I love about podcasts.
0:14.4	You start with just a good idea, but then you have the space to see where it goes.
0:18.4	And doing that at the BBC means we can really run with the best stories
0:21.9	while developing the most unique audio talent.
0:24.8	So if you like what you hear, why not check out the huge range of podcast we've got on BBC Sounds.
0:31.6	BBC Sounds, Music, radio podcasts.
0:37.0	The ad suggested, but now we're hearing it straight from the CEO.
0:41.4	Abercrombie and Fitch doesn't want larger women wearing its clothes
0:44.6	so what won't even stock sizes larger than a 10. You know what I say to that?
0:50.4	Oh Fitch, please. You may have heard the headlines about Abercrombie and
0:57.4	Fitch over the years. This isn't the first time there's been controversy
1:01.3	about Abercrombie and Fitch. In 2004 it paid an out-of-court settlement
1:05.7	of 40 million dollars to former employees who claimed they were given backroom jobs because
1:10.7	of the colour of their skin.
1:12.1	The man in charge during this time was Mike Jeffries, the brand's modern day founder.
1:18.0	He was a pretty controversial figure as CEOs go.
1:22.0	Has not CEO Mike Jeffries himself? a great attitude and a lot of friends a lot of people don't belong in our clothes and they can't belong
1:36.4	But what was once considered cool became deeply uncool On Friday analysts are forecasting disappointing results for Abercrombie and Fitch,
1:46.0	as the company still remains under fire for its CEO's controversial comments.
	...

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