Open Letter to Founder of Brandy Melville
Brandy Melville is dangerous to young girls and incredibly out of date.
The Willstonian did an interview with Hannah Choi, an employee of yours from Hong Kong, and learned certain facts about your business that support the allegations of discrimination. She said all of the girls in the Hong Kong store were white, which did not represent the girls of Hong Kong.
Dear Mr. Stephan Marsan,
I am writing to inform you of my concerns with your brand, Brandy Melville. Clothing stores are lovely — there’s always room for more. However, the foundation you have built is outdated and cruel.
And not something to be proud of.
Although initially popular, Brandy Melville has imposed many beauty standards on young, vulnerable girls. Your policy of “one size fits all” only accommodates girls who are between sizes 0-2. This is absurd and not a sound marketing strategy since, according to Healthline, the average clothing size for teenage girls is a size 12.
Your company’s history of racism is another issue. The Willstonian did an interview with Hannah Choi, an employee of yours from Hong Kong, and learned certain facts about your business that support the allegations of discrimination. She said all of the girls in the Hong Kong store were white, which did not represent the girls of Hong Kong .
She claimed that the Brandy Melville staff “recruits” applicants based on their looks, style, and social media followings. Rumors have also claimed that you don’t hire black or overweight women because you believe it will “hurt the brand.” It appears that this has the exact opposite impact on your business.
Brandy Melville is dangerous to young girls and incredibly out of date. For instance, brands like yours are part of the reason why girls want to be so small. They feel that in order to wear these clothes or simply to be considered a normal member of society, they must be small enough to meet the unattainable beauty standards that are placed on them.
This thinking has the potential to lead to eating disorders and other mental health issues. It also doesn’t exactly do your brand justice that the majority of your fashion models are thin and white.
Most people who are aware of what you and your business stand for believe that closing the store would be the best course of action for you. That or think about modernizing and diversifying your brand. You don’t have to contribute to the stigma that girls must have a specific appearance in order to fit in with society.
You don’t have to help create disordered ways of thinking of girls. In actuality, you shouldn’t and can’t anymore.
It is totally unacceptable.
Regards,
Caroline Becker
