That’s Los Angeles (Apparel) — in SoHo: Inside the Flagship Opening of Dov Charney’s New Brand

Yesterday in New York, Los Angeles Apparel opened its flagship store — a story dramatic enough to deserve its own Netflix documentary.

Oops — that documentary already exists: Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel premiered in 2025. But let’s take it step by step.

Crowded opening day on the shop floor of Los Angeles Apparel in SoHo, with mannequin torsos hanging from the ceiling — *Opening day at 480 Broadway — the brand's second store anywhere, after the factory shop in South Central.*

Los Angeles Apparel is all about contemporary basics — T-shirts, hoodies, bodysuits, swimsuits and other knitwear — designed with a touch of ’90s nostalgia and a distinctly American authenticity. All of it is proudly Made in USA.

A MADE IN USA tag holder clipped to a clothing rail in the store — *Every step of production, from cutting to dyeing, happens in South Central Los Angeles.*

A product tag reading RNS079 Micro Mesh Long Sleeve Crop Top with a QR code, on a rail in the store — *Every step of production, from cutting to dyeing, happens in South Central Los Angeles.*

The Los Angeles Apparel brand was founded in 2016 by Dov Charney, who had previously been the founder and CEO of the iconic American brand American Apparel—and that’s where the main drama begins.

A corner of the store with photographic prints on the wall, a hanging fabric fish and rails of clothing — *The walls are hung with Dov Charney's own photographs of Los Angeles.*

Before Los Angeles, There Was American

American Apparel (not to be confused with Los Angeles Apparel, though visually they look almost identical) at its peak was one of the largest clothing manufacturers in the United States: more than 10,000 employees, 280+ retail stores in over 20 countries (the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America), and a market capitalization approaching a billion.

So what could possibly go wrong? The answer lay in the very DNA of ~~Dov Charney’s~~ brand: people loved American Apparel not only for its quality and price, but also for its bold, hypersexual advertising:

— Instead of flawless models, real people—often company employees and their roommates
— Minimal retouching and maximum provocation, styled like “home videos”
— Shot on point-and-shoot cameras and Polaroids, low-resolution digital cameras. Often the photos looked like early dating site snapshots from MySpace or Mamba.

Three vintage American Apparel advertising posters displayed in the store — *The old American Apparel campaigns, shot on point-and-shoots and Polaroids, are part of the decor.*

This mix of “provocation” and “progressive ideas” made the brand an icon for creative youth. Charney believed that “sex sells” and pushed this principle to its limit. For example, in the UK and Canada, some AA posters were banned as pornographic.

The brand’s external scandals mirrored its internal culture and Charney’s management style: accusations of employee exploitation, sex scandals, and chaotic leadership. Critics said the office felt like a mixture of business and the CEO’s personal fantasies.

In the end, in 2014 the board of directors ousted the company’s own founder and CEO, Dov Charney, who had been at the helm for nearly 30 years.

And what does a true maverick do? He flips the middle finger to his detractors and goes back to what he’d been doing for the past three decades—building the same kind of company, only this time he called it Los Angeles Apparel.

Over 90% of the equipment in his new factory was formerly the property of American Apparel, purchased by Charney during its bankruptcy: after his dismissal, American Apparel’s business, to put it mildly, went downhill, and it was sold to another industry giant—Gildan.

The location of Los Angeles Apparel’s office and factory reflects the founder’s boldness—South Central Los Angeles.

Surpassing Itself. That’s Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Apparel carries the imprint of a city where people from 140 countries speak more than 200 languages. That multicultural energy became the company’s philosophy: to push against an industry dominated by offshoring, cheap labor and disposable trends.

A mannequin in a white T-shirt in the shop window, with the escalator and photo wall behind — *The 1801 tee: 6.5 oz cotton, high neck, garment-dyed.*

Every step of production — from cutting to dyeing — takes place in South Central L.A., with more than half of the yarn sourced directly from American farmers. Employees earn between $20 and $35 an hour, work in safe conditions and often remain with the company for more than a decade. This #SweatshopFree principle is the brand’s defining contrast to competitors, where labor is usually anonymous and underpaid.

A wall of photographs and coloured hanging pieces above rails of basics — *Photographs, street signs and salon fronts — the visual diary of a city.*

Sustainability is central: nearly 100% of waste is recycled, fabrics are dyed under California’s strict environmental regulations, and leftover textiles are transformed into limited-edition upcycled pieces. Instead of chasing fast fashion, Los Angeles Apparel promotes the idea of slow basics — garments meant to last for years and remain timeless.

Rails of grey hooded sweatshirts and cream garments on the shop floor — *More than forty styles of basics, in a spectrum that runs from neutrals to neons.*

On the global stage, the brand embraces free trade, but insists on proving that clothing made in the U.S. can be competitive, sustainable and ethical. Unlike most of the industry, Los Angeles Apparel builds business on principles rather than compromises — and that has become its greatest strength.

The shop floor near the entrance with customers browsing and a staircase behind — *SoHo puts the brand next door to Zara, Madewell and Brandy Melville.*

Hero Product: The 1801 Tee

The 1801 T-shirt is the cornerstone of the collection: a 6.5 oz heavyweight cotton tee with a high neckline, relaxed fit and garment-dyed finish that gives it a vintage look. It’s available in a wide spectrum of colors — from neutrals to brights and neons — with more than 40 styles of basics

The store seen from the street through its windows, with a row of small portraits along the wall below — *Portraits of the people who make the clothes run the length of the wall.*

Human Tags

Los Angeles Apparel takes transparency literally: many garments feature photos and short bios of the very workers who made them, printed directly on the care labels. One tag tells the story of Santos — “a multitasker who loves drawing with his three daughters”; another introduces Diego — “an experienced sewer who swears by his mom’s enchiladas and roots for the Dodgers.” Each ends with the line: “That’s Los Angeles.”

A close-up of a garment care label reading MEET VICENTE with a portrait and a short biography — *Human tags: many garments carry a photograph and a few lines about the person who sewed them.*

A grid of Los Angeles street photographs mounted as wall decoration in the store — *Beauty salons, burger stands, freeway signs — the everyday Los Angeles the brand takes its name from.*

Dov Charney runs his Instagram (@dovcharney_losangeles) like a visual diary of Los Angeles life. Instead of polished branding, he shares candid city scenes: street signs, architectural fragments, impromptu moments, faded storefronts. As someone who has been following this account for a long time, I’m really glad to see its photos used as part of the store’s design.

Rails of brightly coloured garments in front of a wall covered with a photographic collage — *The colour range is the point; the collage behind it is the argument.*

Los Angeles Apparel can be congratulated on the opening of its first store in SoHo: a brand risen from the ruins of American Apparel, now testing in 2025 whether the old formula—“Made in Los Angeles,” minimalism plus provocation—can still work in an industry that long ago stopped believing in manifestos.

📍 Address: 480 Broadway, New York, NY 10013 (between Broome and Grand Streets)
📞 Phone: +1 (646) 568-4585
🕙 Hours: Monday–Thursday & Sunday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

A red Sav-on drug sign mounted on the store wall beside a large photographic print — *Salvaged Los Angeles signage, reinstalled in a SoHo cast-iron building.*

The escalator between floors, with photographic prints covering the wall and ceiling — *Salvaged Los Angeles signage, reinstalled in a SoHo cast-iron building.*

This new space is more than just a retail location. It marks the company’s second store overall, following the original Factory Store at its South Central Los Angeles headquarters. Choosing SoHo is symbolic: surrounded by global giants like Zara, Madewell, Bloomingdale’s, and Brandy Melville, Los Angeles Apparel positions itself as a direct alternative to fast fashion — offering basics made locally, ethically, and sustainably.