American Apparel’s Mannequin Pubic Hair

BeMrtR0IQAAuoIOAmerican Apparel’s Mannequin Pubic Hair: More Stunt Than Statement

Feminist manifesto or Dov Charney approved marketing ploy?

By Laura Stampler

People clogged the sidewalk on Lower Manhattan’s East Houston Street to get a glimpse at a surprising sight from an unsurprising source.

At 3am Thursday morning, American Apparel gave its contemplative batch of lingerie-wearing female mannequins a new look: fully grown out pubic hair.

The move has been embraced by some and chided by others. Media Bistro’s PRNewser mockingly tweeted that the mannequins have “grooming issues,” an attitude that (for those wearing rose colored glasses) might be the reason why American Apparel did it in the first place. Others suggested the mannequin merkin could be a solidarity cry, a public statement that American Apparel stands with the growing movement of pubic hair acceptance. The New York Times’ T Magazine recently ran a piece calling for the “return to a more natural state,” supported by celebrities including Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow.