Branding Is Everything

Just came across this strange article about the very press shy founder of Abercrombie & Fitch by Salon writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis.

I found this paragraph to be rather telling:

"Jeffries alternates his grumpy defensiveness with moments of surprising candor, making him at times oddly endearing. He admitted things out loud that some youth-focused retailers wouldn't (which may be why he panicked and pulled his cooperation from this story two days after I left A&F headquarters, offering no explanation). For example, when I ask him how important sex and sexual attraction are in what he calls the "emotional experience" he creates for his customers, he says, "It's almost everything. That's why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that."

Shamles plug: Salon is truly some of the best writing on the intersphere... like the New York Times for our nomadic generation.