American Apparel Opens First Kids Store

LOS ANGELES and BERLIN, Dec. 1  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Apparel (AMEX:APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, has opened the first American Apparel Kids store in Berlin, Germany.

The 829 sq. ft. store on Alte Schonhauser Strasse, previously a California Select Vintage location, has been redesigned to exclusively stock American Apparel's expanded Kids line. The store is the first retail location dedicated to featuring the collection, which now features more than 30 new styles and an array of new fabrics and colors. American Apparel has had a retail presence in Berlin for more than four years and long hoped to bring a broader range of kids clothes to the growing neighborhood customer base.

"This neighborhood in Berlin is an area where an internationally diverse culture and the arts have mixed with a boom in new families to create a very unique place for raising children. It has some of the most vibrant public parks and playgrounds we've seen and was at the top of our list of places to test out an American Apparel Kids store. Many of our Berlin customers are starting families and want the same things from children's clothing that they've come to expect from our adult garments - reliable, versatile pieces that do their job and look great. We're excited to devote a whole shop to this category in Berlin," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.

The models featured in the American Apparel Kids photos are children of American Apparel employees, shot by American Apparel employees and featured both in the shop's graphics and on the company's website and advertisements. In fact, the American Apparel Kids collection itself came as the result of the internal demands of American Apparel employees with children who wanted kid-sized versions of their favorite styles for their own families.

"It was as much about the clothes being as cute as it was about them being functional and exactly what parents need. When a great basic staple fits, it's a relief to know I can get a new one in a bigger size seasons later when my son grows out of it," said Sue Tsai, a mom and designer who developed many of the products for the new launch.

In addition to staples like one-pieces, socks, and t-shirts, the Berlin store will carry new pieces such as Knit Stripe Crew Neck Sweaters, Printed and Shiny Leggings, backpacks and suspenders. American Apparel is also currently developing kids leotards, kids rain parkas and baby slings, all of which will soon make their way to the new store.

About American Apparel

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of October 31, 2009, American Apparel employed approximately 9,700 people and operated over 275 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China. American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers. In addition to its retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates an online retail e-commerce website at http://www.americanapparel.com/. 

DATASOURCE: American Apparel



CONTACT:  Marsha Brady of American Apparel, [phone], ext. 1676



Web Site:  http://www.americanapparel.com/ 

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