This will get our collector community off to a rousing start this morning... American fashion icon Abercrombie & Fitch officially opens in Paris this week and they certainly will leave a lasting impression, with shirtless male models greeting Parisians up and down the Champs Elysées. Savvy members of ARTKABINETT social network never miss a sensational photo opportunity when we see one, and here you have a stunning example.
The retailer launched their flagship store on the Champs Élysées by snagging 101 male models (as opposed to Dalmatians) and having them lineup on the sidewalk to welcome new customers. Or to check out each others' abs.
Either way, it's a surefire way to attract attention, and word is Abercrombie will have topless dudes working the store all year long -- even through December --, which will certainly snag the young adult market that is their primary focus.
Can't wait to see what happens come wintertime. We hear it gets pretty cold.
There have been three retailers called Abercrombie & Fitch, and the current A&F shares only its name with the original business. Founded in 1892 in Manhattan by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra H. Fitch, the original Abercrombie & Fitch was an elite outfitter of sporting and excursion goods, particularly noted for its expensive shotguns, fishing rods, and tents.
In 1976 Abercrombie & Fitch filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, finally closing its flagship Manhattan store in 1977.
The name was revived shortly thereafter, when in 1978-79, a Houston-based chain, bought the defunct firm's name and mailing list.
A&F was relaunched as a mail-order retailer specializing in hunting wear and novelty items. It also opened shops in Beverly Hills, Dallas, and (by the mid-1980s) New York City.
Finally, in 1988, the company name was sold to The Limited, a clothing-chain operator based in Columbus, Ohio.
The current version of A&F sells mostly clothes instead of pith helmets or elephant guns, and describes its retailing niche as an aspirational "Casual Luxury" lifestyle brand.
Especially since 1997, the company has consistently kept a high-profile in the public eye - both positive and negative - due to its type of advertising (including its own film and magazines), its philanthropy, and its involvement in legal conflicts over branding, clothing style and employment practices. 
The company has been accused of promoting the sexualization of pre-teen girls by marketing thongs to 10-year-olds and padded bikini tops to 7-year-olds.
On April 14, 2005, Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to a settlement of Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch. The settlement requires the company to pay $40 million to several thousand minority and female plaintiffs who charged the company with discrimination.
The settlement also requires the company to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination based on race or gender.
The consent decree governs the recruitment, hiring, job assignment, training, and promotion of Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and abercrombie kids employees. A monitor will regularly evaluate and report on the company's compliance with the provisions of the consent decree.
The company's provocative advertising campaigns continue under the creative directorship of fashion photographer, Bruce Weber.
Paris flagship: No. 23, Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
