American Apparel Plans Retail Return, Starting With a Los Angeles Pop-Up

American Apparel is preparing to return to retail, and its first step is a temporary shop in Los Angeles. The clothing brand is owned by Gildan, the apparel maker, and WWD reported the plans.

The pop-up is at 8013 Melrose Avenue and will open from Friday to Sunday. It is an experience, not a store, so it will not sell anything. Instead, it will show three products: the 2001 Fine Jersey Tee, the 9001 Superheavy Weight Tee and the Women's Stretch Baby Rib collection. Visitors will be offered free T-shirts with airbrush artwork, custom-made on the spot.

Jason Sherman is leading the relaunch at Gildan. The pop-up is the first in a series of marketing initiatives the company has planned for the brand.

American Apparel has a long and rocky history with shops. It filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and closed all of its stores. Gildan bought the brand in 2017. Since then, American Apparel has mostly worked as a wholesale business, selling blank garments to other companies and to shops that resell them, rather than selling directly to shoppers. In 2019, the Los Angeles Times reported that Gildan had put plans for a Los Angeles store on hold.

The next stage is slower. American Apparel is aiming for spring 2027 to introduce a small collection through one or two retail partners, possibly alongside online sales. Talks with possible partners are ongoing, according to WWD.

Further ahead, the brand could widen its range in 2028, depending on how customers respond. Women's clothing is expected to be a main focus, alongside men's styles. Standalone American Apparel stores could follow later, depending on demand and on how the first partnerships perform.

For shoppers, the first contact will be a free shirt rather than a purchase. The timing of the bigger steps depends on partners and customers that have not yet been named.