Chelsea on 5th Avenue: Hypermasculinity and Gay Clone Culture in the Retail Brand Practices of Abercrombie & Fitch

The major focus of this research demonstrates how the retail branding practices of Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) borrow from hypermasculine gay clone culture to create a distinct brand image. This interpretative analysis, conducted through an examination of the overall shopping experience at A&F's flagship 5th Avenue New York City store, suggests how A&F has borrowed from a homoerotic hypermasculine theme to create meanings, stories, and associations to the products. Martin Levine's 1970s hypermasculine gay clone culture as well as Douglas Holt and Laurence Vincent's theories of how fashion intermediaries borrow from culture to create “fashion themes” further contextualize this research. A&F's use of these iconic gay characteristics in their branding not only creates a distinctive brand image, but also disseminates fragments of gay culture and history through the customers who wear the clothing.