American Apparel and Urban Outfitters, for all they've done in the past decade or so, are finally on the verge of death. I don't think there's a better sign of the health and maturity of the clothing industry than these two really eating shit over the past couple of years. Racked has a great look at what has happened to the two giants of hipsterdom fashion.
Since around 2010, both AA and UO have seen the good times vanish into an ether of dipping sales and bad PR. American Apparel had Dov Charney's terrible antics to answer for, while UO had to make up some bullshit ass apology for the offensive designs it produces on an almost regular basis. The ebb and flow of these two companies goes hand-in-hand with the hipster wave. In general, they haven't evolved to cater to a new, non-hipster audience and, on the other hand, have failed to address their old consumer's grown up, newfound attention to detail when it comes to clothing production. Sure, American Apparel initially built a foundation on sweatshop-free manufacturing, but Charney's issues pretty much covered up all the good in that, and Urban Outfitters has always shilled cheap, boho-inspired looks. The audience that used to line up in droves for that now pays closer attention to what it wears than ever and have given places like Everlane their business instead, which promises absolute transparency about its manufacturing processes and the best bang for your buck possible.
The "hipster" look has long since reached a saturation point and it may already be too late for the major companies that were built upon it. We can only hope it all leads further down the path out back where they're finally put down for good.
