American Apparel Opens New Store Inside Galeries Lafayette in Lille

LOS ANGELES and LILLE, France, Nov. 28, 2011 -- American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, has opened its newest French location in Lille at the Galeries Lafayette, one of the world's most renowned international department store chains.

The store-in-store 30 sq. m. space follows the model American Apparel developed early last year, offering a selection of the company's bestselling and most popular basics along with a mix of its newer fashion pieces. The department store, which attracts a young urban clientele based in global cities such as London, Brussels and Lille itself, is minutes away from Le Vieux-Lille, a local cultural hub for fashion innovators. The location, warmly lit and featuring dozens of American Apparel's signature styles, is near Sandro, Levi's and Diesel, along with many other top international brands inside the store.

"This is a great opportunity to reach a new audience who has not had a local outlet for our fashionable basics. In Lille we are centrally located in a cosmopolitan area filled with exactly the type of consumer - young, stylish and savvy - that we'd like to reach out to," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.

In addition to its new, fashionable women's pieces, American Apparel will merchandise the store to reflect the company's new imagery, artwork and exciting mannequin displays. American Apparel will hire approximately 20 new employees for the opening of this store. Their creative interpretation of the garments will inspire customers to try new pieces like jackets and jumpers as well as find new uses for old favorites like t-shirts and bodysuits.

American Apparel has enjoyed great success in France since first opening there in January of 2005. It now has 12 locations, including Paris, Toulouse and Aix-en-Provence. Previously its most recent addition was in La Defense, a famous shopping district in Paris. The new location in the Galeries Lafayette was chosen in order to reach out to a customer base that is familiar with the brand and desires a physical location for shopping. In particular, the space will feature American Apparel's fashionable winter garments, including pea coats and other outerwear, sweaters, capes and cold-weather accessories.

"France has always been one of our strongest markets and we're excited for the opportunity to serve a new customer base in Lille. The French people have repeatedly demonstrated their affinity for and understanding of American Apparel's fashionable basics philosophy, so we truly appreciate this new opportunity to serve their interests," said Brady.

About American Apparel
American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of June 30, 2011, American Apparel employed approximately 10,000 people and operated 254 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China. American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality t-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers.