Dov Charney offers to shift Los Angeles Apparel workforce to mask production

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 19, 2020

Dov Charney, the businessman who came to fame as the founder of American Apparel, has announced that he is willing to shift his current company, Los Angeles Apparel, toward helping to fight the coronavirus.

Via an Instagram post, Charney announced his willingness to dedicate the company's workforce to manufacturing masks or medical products for "any government agency." Currently, the company's manufacturing hub is located in South Central Los Angeles.

"We understand this is a time for American companies to step up and assist in combating this crisis," the post reads. "Our experienced workforce and management team of over 450 people are ready and able to produce masks or medical products for any government agency." 

"We are currently taking measures to help prevent the spread of the virus at our manufacturing facility as best as we can," the post continued, before asking "any municipal, state or federal agency" in need of textile or sewing product production to DM the account or text Charney directly. 

Previous posts on the company's Instagram include a shot of models and three of the company's sewers wearing Los Angeles Apparel's 'facemask3.'

In the photo of the sewers, the caption reads: "We have experienced mask shortages first hand, so we developed our own to provide to our garment workers and are offering these to our customers for industrial use. Our face mask is made of 100% US grown cotton french terry, features an adjustable nose that forms around the contours of your face and 2 straps that can be adjusted and secured around the back of your head and neck."

Founded in 2016, Los Angeles Apparel sells a range of women's, men's unisex and kid's basics. The company was started by Charney, after he was ousted from American Apparel - the company he founded in 1989 - in 2014, due to accusations of sexual misconduct.