Fran Horowitz, the chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, said it plainly: “We are no longer the company that we used to be.” That was in 2017, and Ms.
Horowitz was referring to a series of crises that had tainted the clothing retailer during the tenure of her predecessor, Michael S.
Jeffries, who had led the company from 1992 to 2014. There were lawsuits accusing Abercrombie of discriminating against Black, Latino and Asian employees; blowback for selling sexualized clothing to children; and accusations that its marketing to “the attractive all-American kid” excluded potential customers based on weight.
Under Mr. Jeffries, Abercrombie’s stores emulated nightclubs, with dimmed lighting and images of half-naked young models lining the walls.