The ABERCROMBIE & FITCH Shopping Bag, From Bare to Bare-chested

Shoppers on Fifth Avenue carrying A & F shopping bags, October 18, 2009

Bruce Weber photography on A & F shopping bag

A & F Package Design, 1990 (Image from AIGA Design Archives)

Abercrombie and Fitch is known for its racy marketing photography shots by BRUCE WEBER, as exemplified by the design of the shopping bag. Grayscale photographs of bare-chested men and scantily-clad women are common aspects of the design. Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and filmmaker. He is best known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Pirelli, Abercrombie and Fitch, Revlon, Versace and Ralph Lauren. He has published several books that have become collectibles, and has contributed to magazines including Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview and Rolling Stone.

ABERCROMBIE and FITCH Flagship Store Fifth Avenue Store Greeters: Undressed for Success

Bare-chestedness should be the antithesis of clothing. At Abercrombie and Fitch, it is part of the marketing strategy. And it seems to work. At the firm’s always crowded (and loud like a nightclub) flagship store on Fifth Avenue, I took photos of some of the scantily clad models or greeters (I really don’t know what to call them) who pace under moody low lights at the entrance. Half-naked or donning a coat, depending on the weather, they flash their nice smile or pout and pose for photographs. A and F is probably one of the most controversial clothing firm in the country. The chain's once legendary and sexually-charged quarterly magazine A and F had to be dropped when several US states claimed it was glorifying soft pornography through famed photographer Bruce Weber's images of naked young men and women. The company was once boycotted by Asian-Americans when it introduced T-shirts caricaturing ethnic groups. One depicts smiling figures in conical hats, and featured the slogan "Wong Brothers Laundry Service - Two Wongs Can Make It White." At one time, concerned citizens protested against a line of thong underwear sold for girls in pre-teen sizes and including phrases like "Eye Candy." Through all of this controversy, A&F continues to become a success.

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH...& WEBER

The BRUCE WEBERized ABERCROMBIE & FITCH shopping bags carried by tourists and locals can be easily spotted on Fifth Avenue’s shopping district. Above is a photograph I made of an A&F bag on a black couch. The flagship store of A&F opened on Fifth Avenue two years ago. Inside the store, the music is loud, thumping like a nightclub, and the lighting is a little dark. But the store is always crowded with young shoppers who during warmer months are greeted by shirtless male models at the entrance. In the 1990’s A&F was transformed into the retailer of choice for American youth, a demographic said to be growing the fastest during that time. The company also began publishing A&F Quarterly, a catalogue featuring its clothing lines as well as articles on pop culture, sex, music, and other teen topics. Photographer and occasional filmmaker BRUCE WEBER’s art fills the catalogue and A&F's racy advertising with an open sexuality, with his often near naked, seemingly casual and highly eroticised images of men and women. Weber’s photography, usually in black and white appealed to target customers but his catalogue photographs became highly controversial. Nevertheless, Weber, the fashion photographer who doesn't seem to be interested in photographing clothes, imbued this photographic genre to mainstream advertising. Today, his artwork and photography books have become collectible items.

Founded in New York City in 1892 by David T. Abercrombie, the original store was dedicated to selling the highest-quality camping, fishing and hunting gear. In 1900, Ezra Fitch, a devoted customer, convinced Abercrombie to let him buy part of the company. In 1904, the store name was officially changed to Abercrombie & Fitch. Due to differences between the two men over the direction of the business, Abercrombie resigned in 1907. Ezra Fitch led the company into the largest sporting goods store in the world. A&F has outfitted famous clients including former US Presidents. Today, A&F is a popular retailer of casual clothing and accessories for young men and women with stores nationwide and markets directly to customers online or through a catalogue.