WHITE HOT: THE RISE & FALL OF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

A documentary about appeal maker Abercrombie & Fitch, their meteoric rise during the 1990's/2000's, and their previously self-inflicted PR scandals from T-shirts featuring offensive language to their racial hiring practices. I grew up during this time period and went to a school where A&F gear was very prominent, although I never wore the style then. The documentary features former store employees, models, and execs who give all of the behind-the-scenes details about what was really going on. The first half is interesting, as many are afforded the opportunity to tell their story and talk about their experiences. In addition a brief history of the company is given before transitioning to the second half that deals with how exclusive, racial, and sexist the company was. I understood that's where this was ultimately going, as that's what the point of this documentary was; however, director Alison Klayman makes it so heavy handed that before the credits even roll, the audience is left with this thought of, "Ok, we get it, they were racist." A small portion is dedicated to the efforts the company has made since changing CEO's from Mike Jeffries, who is credited with the company's success and racially insensitive culture, to current CEO Fran Horowitz. And I find this shameful as at the end of the day, this is a hit piece directed squarely towards the brand and little is done to show the new direction the company has taken in the 5 years under Horowitz. Granted, more time is going to be needed as well as additional efforts on the part of the company to put their past behind them. But I believe they're well on their way by having a female CEO, in addition to their efforts of being more inclusive through offering plus sizes, as well as charities they raise money for. 5/10