LAUNCHED IN 2010, THE SITCH ON FITCH BECAME THE INSPIRED, RESPECTED BRAND OF PASSION OVER THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND PRESTIGE OF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. (ADMIRATION FOR ITS PAST GOING BACK TO 1892 AND FOR THE MODERN-TIME HEIGHTS OF THE MIKE JEFFRIES ERA); IT WAS OFFICIALLY, POSITIVELY RECOGNIZED BY A&F HOME OFFICE BY APRIL 2012, WITH A DIRECT EMAIL TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DURING ITS GROWTH AS THE ONE-OF-A-KIND, MULTINATIONAL ONLINE PUBLICATION, WITH HIGH-GRADE PRESENTATION WHICH EVOLVED OVER ITS RUN, FOR RELEVANT, UNIQUE, IN-DEPTH BUSINESS, CULTURE, AND STYLE CONTENT FOR THE COMMUNITY OF CUSTOMERS AND ASSOCIATES WORLDWIDE (MONTHLY PAGEVIEWS SURPASSED 110K BY AUGUST 2012); AND IT WAS FOLDED BY SEPTEMBER 2015 AFTER THE DECEMBER 2014 RETIREMENT OF MIKE JEFFRIES AND THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S DISTASTE WITH THE FURTHER DEGRADATION OF THE COMPANY BY ITS NEW MANAGEMENT. WITH CONTENT BY THE PERSPECTIVE OF DEVOTED CUSTOMERS AND ASSOCIATES FROM AMERICA, EUROPE AND FAR EAST ASIA, THE SITCH ON FITCH (2010-2015) REMAINS AS A HISTORICAL, ZEITGEIST ONLINE PUBLICATION OVER THE FINAL YEARS OF THE MIKE JEFFRIES ERA. THIS SITE WILL BE REVAMPED SOON TO OFFICIATE AN INTELLIGENT ARCHIVE FOR THE USE OF ALL PARTIES INTERESTED IN THE CONTENT PUBLISHED DURING THE PUBLICATION'S ORIGINAL RUN.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Too Much or Not? Push-up Padding Brings a Spring Storm of Controvery!

The Sadie bikini top in ruffle triangle style | $24.50 | abercrombiekids.com (image source)
Abercrombie & Fitch is getting its padding on as it battles a new wave of controversy over its swimwear collection for girls at abercrombie kids. The Company is being BOMBARDED with negative feedback over the abercrombie girls swimwear bikinis many are calling a further attempt to sexualize children. What is the big problem? The bikinis are designed with padding that has scandalized moms! Padding, for those of whom are unaware of its purpose, serves to enhance the appearance of a physical feature. So basically, abercrombie is offering breast enhancing bikinis to girls ages 7 through 14 (the consumer target for the childrens brand). Naturally, this has been mostly ill received. Critics call this a further move to sexualize children by bringing sensuallized attention to prebescent bodies; it has even been perceived on bordering pedophilia. One mother opposes this by stating that the padding actually gives maturing girls confidence, among other girls, that they may not otherwise have. Whatever. As if to soften the controversy, the padding is available as removable...   

Ofcourse, the Company is no virgin when it comes to controversies involving the sexualization of children. The company was often accused of making it's "soft-porn" A&F Quarterly magalog easily accessible for purchase to underage consumers. And then, in 2002, the company sold racy panties under the abercrombie kids label that had people protesting nationwide. The "wink, wink" (what was stamped on the panties) controversy was so strong it even made Mike Jeffries uncomfortable when it was brought up by a newsreporter.   

Abercrombie & Fitch is synonymous with sex in advertising. The Company is a complete pro at utilizing his tactic to bring in flocks of fans through the doors of its iconic brands. A&F is not naive and surely knows about padding...I mean, come on! Whatever the reason for the passig is clearly up for hot debate. What's sure is that this will certainly bring the abercrombie brand back into the infamous attention=profit spotlight. And with the brand down in the economic slumps, the Company, surely, is receiving the controversy as a mixed blessing....Certainly, those bikinis have totally made a splash!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Duality in Düsseldorf

Screenshot from the A&F Milan promotional film, the first A&F/abercrombie flagship. (image source)
Back in January 27, The Sitch on Sitch posted on Abercrombie & Fitch opening its first ever locale in Germany - Düsseldorf to be exact. Well, the news was received with praise primarily because of the love for the ultra FIERCE brand in the land of Hansel and Gretel. There was only one little detail that left us curious: the retail space. Reportedly, the flagship store in Düsseldorf will measure at 21,000 square feet. As explained in the A&F Makes Way Into Germany for 2011 post, that is too much sales space for A&F to operate alone in a city with 586,217 people. The consumer base is not great enough to support it.

But guess what?!? Abercrombie & Fitch will not be the only brand under the roof. The Düsseldorf flagship will become the second flagship, after Milan, to house both Abercrombie & Fitch and abercrombie under the same roof! That explains away the square feet and gives the German volk even more of a reason to get up and shout! This will also mark the second international location for the abercrombie kids brand. Paving a further way into the European market will open up more opportunities for the brand in the long term to expand internationally into more markets to allivate not so strong sales in the United States. It all comes down to being the best of siblings - sharing the spotlight, now that's FIERCE!

UPDATE (06/30/11): The Düsseldorf flagship opens doors December 2011. Make sure to also read our latest post - An All-Americal Blitzkrieg Takes Germany By Storm - for more on Abercrombie & Fitch's plans in Germany (including the opening of the Hamburg flagship in 2012)!

UPDATE (22 October 2011): We recommend you read the following for more:
UPDATE (24 October 2011): A&F Dusseldorf opens December 1st! Read the following:

    Monday, March 21, 2011

    From Japan, A&F is Sailing on into Singapore


    In luxurious bliss, Abercrombie & Fitch secures a location among Singapore's finest. | Photography by Bruce Weber for Abercrombie & Fitch
    The news is out! Abercrombie & Fitch is setting up shop in Singapore! The company is continuing its plans to expand into the Asian market with the opening of A&F Singapore in late-2011. A third location for the brand in Asia, A&F Singapore is to be located in Knightsbridge on Orchard Road. The company is extremely selective when it comes to acquiring locations for Abercrombie & Fitch flagship stores, and this is no exception - it screams luxury! Orchard Road alone is one of the world's most renowned and expensive places to shop and it is the address of pure opulence. Knightsbridge, one great building complex, is named after the elegant neighborhood in London by the same name and is the self-proclaimed "modern day [curator] of the very covetable, the extraordinary and the most desirable." The complex includes the decalent Park Hotel Orchard, Singapore's "most fashionable hotel," and stores in the building have storefronts and direct street access off Orchard Road.

    Opening in Knightsbridge, the Company could not have made a more stunning selection after some serious luxury shopping! The Abercrombie & Fitch flagship will have about 21,000 square feet of retail space within its swanky address.

    Luxury is key in Asia. And it is paramount for Abercrombie & Fitch to continue to showcase itself in the luxury content as it expands internationally - and, in this case, into the Far East market. It's opening in Tokyo's premier Ginza shopping district was quite a statement, and now its opening in Singapore's Knightsbridge will further its luxury cause. In Asia, Abercrombie & Fitch is promoted as an upscale brand. A&F is casual luxury, and it is this that sets it apart from its American competitors. The A&F brand has cultivated an image that is unmatched in the industry. This newfound image has gained it respectibility: “For Orchard Road to continue to be the premier shopping destination for locals and tourists, we need more interesting and iconic retail concepts and brands such as A&F to set foot in Singapore," notes  Allen Law of the Park Hotel Orchard, "The opening of the A&F flagship at Knightsbridge in Orchard Road will increase the vibrancy and quality of shopping experience in Singapore.”

    It's a shame that the trademark Casual Luxury is no longer in use, however. What's not a shame? Rubbing shoulders with Prada and Ferragamo...

    Tuesday, March 8, 2011

    Suing Over the Seagull

    The iconic Hollister Co. seagull, renown the world over for its SoCal cool, is not to be messed with! | design by Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
    There are many, many low key brands out there that are trying to emulate the success and iconic status that surrounds Hollister Co. And Abercrombie & Fitch is not going to allow these copy-cats to benefit from years of meticulous image development and global brand value. The Company has filed a lawsuit against Surf Style for trademark infringment. Surf Style, based in Florida, sold merchandise that carried the HCo seagull logo in its graphics designs. Take a look for yourselves here. Honestly, how idiotic can those people running that business be? Did they seriously think that they had come up with that seagull design purely from original brainstorming? No. It is quite obvious that they are aware of the Hollister brand because it's image dominates the surf-inspired clothing industry. Well, Surf Style is now in over its head. Abercrombie & Fitch had given it a cease-and desist order over another incident last year, and it apparently ignored. Now, that little Florida company had better get ready for a high-tide of legal issues it may well not fare well from.