Abercrombie And Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries Apologizes For "Cool Kids" Quote

Sorry…he's not sorry? Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries issued an official statement on Wednesday, May 15 in light of the recent backlash surrounding comments he made back in 2006 about his brand's target audience — but the apology isn't getting much love from angry customers.

"I want to address some of my comments that have been circulating from a 2006 interview," he starts the statement. "While I believe this 7 year old, resurrected quote has been taken out of context, I sincerely regret that my choice of words was interpreted in a manner that has caused offense."

Jeffries goes on to call the brand an "aspirational" one that "targets its marketing at a particular segment of customers."

"We are completely opposed to any discrimination, bullying, derogatory characterizations or other anti-social behavior based on race, gender, body type or other individual characteristics," he concluded.

Earlier this week, quotes from a 2006 Salon interview revealed that Jeffries had once admitted that he only wanted the "cool and popular kids" to shop at his stores.

"We go after the cool kids," he was quoted as saying, in reference to his company's target demographic. "A lot of people don't belong, and they can't belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely."

Jeffries' inflammatory comments prompted celebrities like Kirstie Alley and Sophia Bush to speak out about his prejudiced viewpoints.

"Abercrombie clothes are for people who are cool and look a certain way and are beautiful and are thin blah, blah, blah, blah," Alley said on Entertainment Tonight. "That would make me never buy anything from Abercrombie."

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Los Angeles-based writer Greg Karber even took to YouTube to propose a different kind of solution to get back at Abercrombie.

In a two-and-a-half minute video, Karber suggests that viewers donate all of their Abercrombie clothes to homeless shelters so that the many homeless members of the city can be clothed.

"Together," he says in the voiceover, "we can make Abercrombie & Fitch the world's No.1 brand of homeless apparel."

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