As is pointed out in the new trailer for the Quibi docuseries, “Big Rad Wolf,” you couldn’t go anywhere during the 2000s without seeing an American Apparel ad. And you probably remember those clothing ads for their surprising lack of, well, clothing.
And as seen in the trailer, that attitude and swagger are all due to the leadership of Dov Charney, the CEO and founder of the clothing empire. However, it might not surprise you to learn that the man who came up with those ads that used to be called tasteless or provocative is actually a pretty wild, debaucherous guy himself. “Big Rad Wolf” tells the story of the rise and fall of American Apparel and the effect that CEO Dov Charney had on everything that happened. Really though, it has less to do with the fashion industry than it does about what happens when a company run by an apparent madman faces the reality of business and media scrutiny.
The new docuseries is a production of VICE, which is a media company that has had a long history of these sorts of series that expose some of the more underreported stories of the past 20 years. “Big Rad Wolf” premieres on Quibi today and will have a new episode each day until its finale on October 27. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
Big Rad Wolf, a new documentary series from Vice Studios, takes an unvarnished look back at the rise and fall of a company that defined a generation: American Apparel. Built from the ground up by CEO Dov Charney and a team of young, bright, hungry employees, American Apparel charged into the marketplace with controversial advertising and a message of social change. But financial mismanagement and reports of inappropriate behavior torpedoed the company and disillusioned its work force. Big Rad Wolf pieces together American Apparel’s history — good, bad, and ugly — as told by the people who lived it.