Unraveling American Apparel CEO's Fall From Grace

American Apparel is one of the oddest amalgams of brand attributes the marketing world has ever seen. One part ethical, one part sleaze, the brand has carved a unique niche

When the company's board voted to remove its CEO Dov Charney on Wednesday, though, some doubt was cast on that formula. Like Steve Jobs at Apple or Richard Branson at Virgin, Charney is one of those CEO/founders who is synonymous with his brand — at least for some. His past discretions have, so far, only fortified the positioning of the American Apparel brand

Charney was fired because of an "ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct," but no one has yet outlined the nature of the misconduct. Yet Charney, 45, has been repeatedly accused of sexual harassment by employees over the past several years. At one point, seven women had filed suit against him, though many of the cases have been dismissed. In 2012, Charney told CNBC that he has been "the target of baseless lawsuits." Read more...