It’s the Year of the Bush at American Apparel now that the display mannequins at the East Houston Street outlet in New York are donning a generous helping of fake pubic hair!
The trio of mannequins on the display were clad in translucent white lingerie – and a very impressive bush that stands out. In case you’re wondering why American Apparel is doing this, one of the brand’s visual merchandiser Dee Myles explains that it aims to celebrate what is natural.
In an interview with Styleite, Myles says:
“American Apparel has always been a company that celebrates natural beauty. I think that it’s a continuation of that celebration. It’s more so showing a natural form in our lingerie. I think it’s to spark conversation rather than controversy over what we deem beautiful and sexy.”
Myles adds that the bushy mannequins were intended to encourage conversations about beauty standards. “It’s not about being controversial. It’s about sparking conversation. It’s not supposed to be shock value. I think we come from a time where people can be blowing up things on television. Why would this be thought of as a greater issue?”
Ryan Holiday from American Apparel tells Gothamist:
“American Apparel is a company that celebrates natural beauty, and the Lower East Side Valentine’s Day window continues that celebration. We created it to invite passerby’s to explore the idea of what is “sexy” and consider their comfort with the natural female form. This is the same idea behind our advertisements which avoid many of the photoshopped and airbrushed standards of the fashion industry. So far we have received positive feedback from those that have commented and we’re looking forward to hearing more points of view.”
It appears that American Apparel seems rather pro-bush in this case. Even some of the models on their NSFW website seem to be sporting some pubic hair.
Do you think that American Apparel’s window display is a statement, or is just a publicity stunt? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!
