“Brandy is literally built on exclusion and exclusivity. You’re not a bad person for enjoying the exclusivity of the brand because the whole point is that it makes you feel good. You feel good by being skinny enough to fit into their clothes, and in a subconscious way it makes you want to go back for more.” — Reddit user
Despite revealing a toxic culture of racism, body-shaming, and exploitative practices toward its predominantly teenage employees, Brandy Melville’s “one size fits most” stores continue to thrive. Devoted teens flock to the brand, seemingly unaffected by these revelations.
What is Brandy Melville?
Brandy Melville is an Italian-origin fast fashion clothing brand grown into a global teen girl favorite known for its minimalist “California cool” aesthetic and strict sizing.
With over 130 stores worldwide and millions of social followers, mostly teenage girls, it leverages social media and an influencer marketing strategy to maintain its cult‑like appeal.
Brandy Melville Controversy
Brandy Melville may appear as the epitome of laid-back California charm with its airy crop tops and “one size fits most” mantra giving the effortless cool vibe that draws in teenage hearts.
But HBO’s Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion documentary shattered that facade, unveiling a corrosive underbelly of a workplace poisoned by racism, fatphobia, sexual exploitation, and rigid beauty standards ruthlessly imposed by the owner Stephan Marsan.
Is Brandy Melville a Fast Fashion Brand?
Despite being known for its minimal aesthetic and simple yet cute outfits. Brandy is widely considered a fast fashion brand, and its business model checks all the hallmark traits of fast fashion industry. Rapid production and pricing strategy encourages young teens to buy more and the trends are mainly enforced through social media, creating an echo chamber effect to influence young minds.
These characteristics along with poor wages and employee exploitation turned Brandy Melville into Brandy Hellville as every store serves as a hell for its employees and buyers.
Their fast fashion business model
Brandy Melville’s business model is designed captivate and monetize teenage girls. It leans heavily on influencer marketing, recruiting its own staff, often 14 to 16 year-old girls, to model and photograph clothes in-store, then reposting those images across its Instagram account with over 3 million followers.
Shockingly, though the line is branded mainly for early teen girls, the key product decisions are driven by middle-aged men like Jesse and Stephan Marsan who oversee everything from store hires to clothing designs. The HBO documentary also revealed that Stephan had made it mandatory for the employees—many of them adolescents—to submit full-body “store style” photos in order to assess whether they matched the brand’s exclusive aesthetic.
“90% of my closet is brandy, however the whole “brandy girl” stereotype does make me feel like I have no original style or like I am some privileged teenage brat lol, idk why i just love the clothes sm (so much) and that’s why I support the brand.” — Reddit user
Stephan Marsan: The Man Behind the Brand
Stephan Marsan, Brandy Melville’s secretive CEO, reportedly made hiring decisions based on daily “staff style” photos. Full-body and even chest or feet shots were mandatory for all employees.
Young employees sent him their photos, which he apparently saved and used to approve or fire staff. Former insiders say he only placed thin, white girls in visible store roles while relegating any other girls that did not fit his idea of a Brandy girl to stockrooms or dismissing them outright.
Do They Use Sustainable High Quality Material?
The simple answer is NO. Like every fast fashion brand, Brandy Melville does not prioritize or opt for high-quality, durable materials. The clothes are designed to last only one or two wears. One of the store owners claimed to have discarded cartons of clothes due to their extremely poor quality. Similarly, employees have reported in the documentary that the garments literally rip apart as they punch tags into them.
A recent review from a Reddit user about an item they purchased from Brandy Melville reads:
“Literally so disappointed because I wanted to buy it as it is a perfect length and appropriate for work but why does the stitching look all messed up.” — Reddit user
The HBO Documentary—Brandy Hellville and the Cult of Fast Fashion
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion was released on April 9, 2024 as a revealing, 91-minute HBO exposé about Brandy Melville’s trendy facade. This well researched documentary shows how Brandy Melville is supporting and promoting racism and fat‑shaming among young women while also committing heinous crimes like labor exploitation, sexual harassment and massive environmental damage in places like Ghana and the world.
By shedding light on the exploitative and unethical practices of Brandy Melville, the documentary encourages viewers to reconsider their fashion consumption habits and supports the call for greater accountability and transparency in the industry. Promoting and supporting such documentaries is essential, as they provide valuable insights into the impact of our choices and inspire positive change.
What does the famous Brandy Melville documentary have to say about the environment?
Offering a powerful reminder of the global cost of our excessive consumption, the documentary is both a wake-up call and a compelling case to reduce, rethink, and resist the resource-draining cycle of fast fashion.
Brandy Melville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
Brandy Melville’s rise to prominence was fueled by a strategic blend of exclusivity and social media savvy. The brand catered to a narrow body type, coupled with influencer-driven marketing, established an aspirational and unattainable aesthetic.
This approach resonated with young consumers especially teenage girls, creating a sense of belonging among those who conformed to its standards. However, beneath this glossy exterior lies a troubling reality that is not hidden from the world anymore.
What do Former Brandy Melville Employees Have to Say?
Former employees of Brandy Melville have shared troubling accounts of their experiences working at the retailer. Many describe a toxic work environment characterized by favoritism, body shaming, and exclusionary practices.
In the HBO documentary Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion, a former employee recounted a harrowing experience of sexual assault. While staying at a company-provided apartment in New York, she went out to dinner with a 31-year-old manager called Jesse. After consuming two drinks, she reported losing consciousness and waking up in bed with him while also being naked. She immediately sought medical treatment and was advised to report the assault, but declined to do so, fearing the loss of her job.
Such practices highlight the urgent need for accountability and reform in the fashion industry to protect vulnerable workers.
How the “One Size Fits All” Mentality of Brandy Hellville Impacted Young Minds
Brandy Melville started as a “one size fits all” brand and then changed it to “one size fits most” after facing criticism on social media. However, their no size policy has detrimentally influenced young consumers’ body image perceptions. This sizing approach, which predominantly caters to smaller body types, has been associated with increased body dissatisfaction among teenage girls. Research indicates that such limited sizing can lead to feelings of exclusion and pressure to conform to specific body standards.
Research has revealed that poor sizing by brands encourages unhealthy weight control behaviors, including skipping meals and using diet pills, among young women. Similarly, research on this topic has highlighted that the brand’s emphasis on a narrow body ideal contributes to body dysmorphia and low self-esteem in teens .
What values are upheld by the fast fashion brand Brandy Melville?
Brandy Melville’s brand values like exclusivity, minimalism, and a curated sense of Brandy community are promoted through its strategic use of social media platforms, particularly Instagram. The brand’s Instagram feed is designed to resemble a personal diary, featuring candid snapshots of models and customers in everyday settings wearing Brandy Melville clothing.
Additionally, the brand encourages user-generated content through hashtags like #brandyusa and #brandymodelsearch, allowing customers to participate in the brand’s narrative and potentially gain recognition.
The brand was mostly promoted through influencer endorsements that are known to shape teen identity and self-image. This curated image of Brandy Melville promotes unrealistic beauty standards and lacks diversity, highlighting the need for a more inclusive approach in fashion marketing. A study found that 26.5% of Instagram posts and 11.4% of TikTok videos are sponsored, encouraging teens to associate products with self-expression. The ease of buying through in-app shopping also fuels impulse buying.
Why size inclusive brands matter
Size-inclusive brands are crucial in reshaping the fashion industry to be more representative, ethical, and economically viable. Research indicates that approximately 70% of American women wear a size 14 or larger, yet many fashion brands still marginalize this demographic by offering limited shopping options, especially in physical retail.
Read more: check out our guide on sustainable plus size brands.
How Choosing the Right Brand Helps the Community
Choosing the right brand that aligns with ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible practices can significantly benefit both individuals and the broader community. Research indicates that brands committed to social responsibility often experience enhanced customer loyalty, improved brand reputation, and increased employee satisfaction.
Consumers who support such brands contribute to a cycle of positive impact, encouraging other companies to adopt similar practices and putting an end to fast fashion.
About the Sources
This article draws upon a range of reputable news outlets, scholarly research, and the HBO documentary to provide a comprehensive overview of the controversy surrounding Brandy Melville. Additionally, consumer responses regarding Brandy Melville have been sourced from discussions and comments on Reddit, particularly from forums such as r/BrandyMelville and r/SustainableFashion.
References
- Zhu, Jing Ying, and Ina Szekely. 2023. “Buying Happiness: How Influencer Marketing Affects the Identity and Purchasing Patterns of Teens.” Journal of Student Research 11 (1).
- Shen, Jiemiao. “A Study of Female Body Shaming in the Fashion and Clothing Industry—Take Brandy Melville as an Example.” Communications in Humanities Research 8, no. 1 (October 31, 2023): 40–45.
- Hu, Qianqian, and Ruoxi Liu. “Body Anxiety of Contemporary Youth: The Popularity of Brandy Melville Style.” Proceedings of the 2022 8th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2022). Atlantis Press, 2022.
- University of Bath. 2024. “Size-Inclusive Model Photos Are Win-Win for Online Retailers, Customers and Environment – New Study.” University of Bath. July 31, 2024.
- Joo, Bo Ra, and Juanjuan Wu. “The Impact of Inclusive Fashion Advertising with Plus-Size Models on Female Consumers: The Mediating Role of Brand Warmth.” Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 12, no. 3 (2021): 260–73.
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Saher Aamir has a master’s degree in Development Studies with a focus on female entrepreneurship. Passionate about natural habitat preservation, she loves crochet, cross-stitch, reading, and watching wild-life documentaries.
