American Apparel was a popular clothing brand that was founded in 1989 and was known for its made-in-USA ethos and "sex sells" advertising. However, the company faced several controversies, including sexual misconduct allegations against its founder, Dov Charney, and lawsuits filed by female staff, which damaged its brand reputation. The company also lost market share as the hipster counterculture began to weaken, and it failed to evolve, leading to a decline in customer interest and competition from fast-fashion retailers. American Apparel filed for bankruptcy twice, in 2015 and 2016, due to mounting debts and a lack of liquidity. In 2017, the company was acquired by Canadian retailer Gildan Activewear for $88 million, and all of its stores shut down. The brand was relaunched as an online-only store, and Gildan offered e-commerce customers the option to choose between products made in the US and cheaper, identical pieces manufactured abroad. However, the brands new "Made in USA" shop, which launched on its website in 2017 with a selection of the brands most popular items, quietly began to vanish in 2019, and the company announced in January 2020 that it was moving all e-commerce operations to Amazon. As of August 2022, American Apparel is still around, but it has made a complete rebrand of the store we all knew and loved. In March 2022, Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel, filed for bankruptcy since he owed $30 million USD to a hedge fund.