A&F Quarterly
Encyclopedia
A&F Quarterly is an American
lifestyle periodical by Abercrombie & Fitch
. Targeted towards the college-aged youth (18-22), the Quarterly primarily serves as a promotional vehicle for the A&F brand. Its contents prominently feature photo spreads by A&F photographer Bruce Weber
and also encompass a variety of articles on lifestyle, sex, entertainment, travel, dining, and celebrity interviews.
The Quarterlys inclusion of nudity and sexuality has been a continual controversial topic. Positive criticism during its initial American run (1997–2003) called it an ingenious marketing tool, the envy of the publishing world, which "redefined the All-American look for teenagers." Negative criticism summarized its American run (1997–2003) as "soft porn" and racy. There were numerous lawsuit
s and boycott
s focusing on moral and religious grounds which included the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, the American Decency Association
, and the Focus on the Family
organization.
Abercrombie & Fitch discontinued A&F Quarterly in 2003, and later resurfaced it as a one-time limited edition exclusively for the European market (2008). A&F Quarterly returned in 2010 as an element for the Back-to-School marketing campaign, becoming the first issue sold simultaneously worldwide.
During its American publication, circulation reached a peak of 1.2 million. The Quarterly had a distribution of about 200,000 copies through sales in Abercrombie & Fitch stores (at US$
6.00 a copy) and subscriptions ($12.00 a year). Advertisements for A&F Quarterly appeared in Interview
, Out
, Rolling Stone
, and Vanity Fair
.
introduced A&F Quarterly as a marketing tool to express the A&F lifestyle. The Quarterly was meant to further establish the image of Abercrombie & Fitch as synonymous with sex
and youth
: The "neo-preppy
and all-American perfection." The publication was coined a "magalog" for its purpose of serving as both a magazine and a catalog for the A&F brand. Its contents focused on entertaining, and giving advice to, the collegiate youth with an emphasis of having youthful fun and exploring sexuality.
The company collaborated with prominent figures in the fashion marketing world to produce the publication: Savas Abadsidis, Sam Shahid, and Bruce Weber
. Weber had been recognized before for his erotic beefcake
photography, and Shahid was notable for his Brooke Shields
' "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins" Calvin Klein
and his Banana Republic's "Free Souls" campaign. The two had previously worked together at Calvin Klein. For the Quarterly, Abadsidis served as editor-in-chief, Shahid as creative director, and Weber as exclusive photographer. Weber splashed A&F Quarterly with nudity (though non-frontal) and erotic heterosexuality
and homosexuality
.
A&F Quarterly made its debut in June 1997 and quickly became popular. Subsequent publications were released on a quarterly basis, one for each Abercrombie & Fitch fashion season ("Spring Break", "Summer", "Back-to-School", and "Christmas"). The first issue was considered relatively tame, with subsequent publications becoming more and more explicit. Abercrombie & Fitch stores required over-age proof and obscured cover nudity; nonetheless, parents complained that the publication found its way to younger-aged children.
A&F spokesperson Hampton Carney said, "it is beautiful fashion photography. It's clean, sexy, and we think our customers will really love it."
in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
, alleging that "AE impermissibly copied the designs of certain articles of clothing, in-store advertising displays, and a catalog [A&F Quarterly]." In July 1999, the court granted American Eagle's motion for summary judgment
in its favor.
According to A&F's initial complaint
, the company identified A&F Quarterly as one of its "unique and inherently distinctive features"
The district court ruled that what A&F described as its distinctive trade dress
was (in the words of the appellate court) "too generic and descriptive" to warrant protection under the Lanham Act
. A&F appeal
ed this judgment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
, which again ruled for American Eagle. The court stated that "Abercrombie's clothing designs and in-store presentations are legally functional non-protectable trade dress and that Abercrombie could not possibly have carried its burden of proving that American's catalog was confusingly similar to what we have presumed is the protectable trade dress of Abercrombie's Quarterly."
The Court of Appeals, in the course of comparing the two stores' catalogs, described the Quarterly as follows:
The court concluded that although the above characteristics distinguished the Quarterly from AE's catalog,
spoke out against the Quarterly after its 1998 "Back-to-School" issue featured alcoholic drink recipes (with names such as "Brain Hemorrhage") and instructions for a drinking game. The Center for Science in the Public Interest
also protested the "Drinking 101" promotion, which advised: "Rather than the standard beer binge, indulge in some creative drinking this semester." The article included recipes for ten mixed drinks and a spinner featuring pictures of each drink, intended to be used in various drinking games. Abercrombie & Fitch ordered the drinking game pages removed from its stores' remaining copies and sent apology letters to its subscribers.
In 1999, Illinois
lieutenant governor Corinne Wood
called for a consumer boycott of Abercrombie & Fitch because of the sexually explicit nature of the Quarterly 's "Naughty or Nice" holiday issue, which included nude photographs and an interview with porn star Jenna Jameson
. Among the images that stirred controversy was a picture of Santa and Mrs. Claus
engaging in sadomasochistic behavior, across the page from the statement "Sometimes it's good to be bad." The Illinois Coalition of Sexual Assault assisted the boycott. That same year, Michigan
attorney general (and later governor) Jennifer Granholm
sent a letter to the company complaining that the holiday catalog contained sexual material that could not be distributed to minors under Michigan law. The catalog featured an A&F "sexpert" who offered advice on "sex for three" and told readers willing to "go down
" on a date at the movies that it was acceptable, "just so long as you do not disturb those around you." Four states threatened legal action over the issue.
In 2001, cultural conservatives
and anti-porn feminists
called for a boycott of A&F over the Summer 2001 issue of A&F Quarterly, which included photographs of naked or near-naked young people frolicking on the beach. The images also included top-naked young women and rear-naked young men on top of each other. The head of Concerned Christians of America said, "The exploitation of sex and young people in A&F's catalog is not only atrocious but also a psychological molestation of their teen-age customers." The National Organization for Women
criticized the catalog for promoting "unrealistic body types" and displaying images that simulate group sex. The catalog included an interview with porn star Ron Jeremy
, who discussed performing oral sex on himself and using a dildo
cast from his own penis.
The Back-to-School 2001 issue (subtitled The Brightest) featured a fictitious A&F University backdrop. Photos of women splashing naked in a fountain were inspired by Katharine Hepburn
's supposed skinny-dipping at Bryn Mawr College
. Another set was inspired by a UC Berkeley student that spent a day nude in class. The typical protest followed the release.
No issues were distributed during the Christmas season following the September 11 attacks, because the company felt the tone of the publication was not suitable for the mood at that time.
Creative Director Sam Shahid generated more criticism with his January 2003 statement: "We don't buckle under to criticism. We feel we're right about what we're doing, I'm not out to hurt anybody and nobody is damaged by any of this."
(for the PlayStation 2
video game console), SoBe
, The WB Television Network
(promoting Smallville
, which starred previous A&F model Tom Welling
), and Trek Bicycle Corporation
. Spokesmen for WB told The New York Times
that they found it intriguing and took the ad space because A&F assured they would be the only television advertiser. Spokeswomen for SoBe called the Quarterly a "good fit" because SoBe targets the same age group as A&F.
's Christmas Field Guide. The cover proclaimed in bold letters, "280 pages of moose
, ice hockey
, chivalry
, group sex
and more." The inside features discussed tips for oral sex
and displayed images of group sex and nude young adults frolicking in a river. Included was a letter from the editor which snidely read: "We don't want much this year, but in keeping with the spirit, we'd like to ask forgiveness from some of the people we've offended over the years....If you'd be so kind, please offer our apologies to the following: the Catholic League
, former Lt. Governor Corrine Wood of Illinois, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Stanford University
Asian American Association, N.O.W." The reaction was an unprecedented wave of strong protest. While protest was mounting, a former model revealed that subjects unwilling to go nude were dismissed by Weber and Shahid, and that Weber constantly pressured them to "act sexier". A Quarterly contributor remarked, "They're [A&F] all about crossing the lines, but this time they drew a line in the sand. They were kind of asking for it."
On December 9, 2003, Abercrombie & Fitch announced its decision to withdraw the issue and to end the publication, stating that the Christmas issue would be its last. Chairman and CEO Mike Jeffries stated that he ended the Quarterly because he was "bored" with it. A company spokesperson said that "we just felt it was time to retire it and come back with something that has beautiful imagery and classical photos." Another statement from the company said that "while [A&F] has enjoyed success with the quarterly over the years, the company believes it is time for new thinking and looks forward to unveiling an innovative and exciting campaign in the spring." Copies were removed from store shelves, and the remainder were distributed only to subscribers.
A&F had finished shooting for A&F Quarterly Spring 2004 in Rome
in October 2003.
Abercrombie & Fitch analysts received the decision with praise. Supposedly, the Quarterly was discontinued because it took up time and money that should have been allocated to more important company issues: "It was more trouble than it was worth." Store sales had been declining, with a major fall in November 2003 of 13%. As a result, the analysts/investors were being hit really hard financially. It was expected that without the weight of the Quarterly, A&F could focus more on producing better results for upcoming fiscal quarters. Analyst Robert Buchanan from A.G. Edwards & Sons wrote to investors that A&F Quarterly was unimportant in his view, and, that by recognizing this, A&F should be able to bring business back up by focusing on its clothing. Jeffrey Klinefelter of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
echoed this sentiment, hoping that the US$33 used towards the publication and marketing would help launch a successful Spring Break 2004.
The decision did not change the contempt with which some community-focused groups viewed Abercrombie & Fitch. The big question on every critic's mind was addressed by the Focus on the Family: "[Abercrombie & Fitch] will stop producing pornographic catalogues, but what will replace them?" Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, commented that "they [Abercrombie & Fitch] have a track record of sexual exploitation and there are many different ways to continue that campaign." Burres had previously posted an advertisement in The Wall Street Journal
to question if A&F's investors really knew what they were investing in. Alissa Quart penned the book Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers and had negative view towards the defunct publication: "It became more of an emblem than anything else. It served as an icon for the hypocrisy of America's attitude toward youth, using it as a sign of innocence while at the same time peddling a semi pornographic catalogue at them."
is the target destination for purchasing the rare periodicals; on the site, a single copy received a bid of US$122.50 after just four hours and thirty minutes on auction.
In 2004, the defunct publication was replaced with A&F Magazine/A&F: Rising Stars, a tame collection of photos and essays about rising young celebrities. It featured Justin Bruening
, Poppy Montgomery
, Olivia Wilde
(all from Back-to-School 2004) and Jeremy Bloom
(Christmas 2004). This magazine was far less popular than the Quarterly and was soon discontinued, and for a time the company published a seasonal catalog.
, where A&F hoped consumers would be more open-minded than Americans. The company planned a release in March or April 2008 in the A&F London flagship store
– just over a year after the opening of the first international A&F flagship at 7 Burlington Gardens in Savile Row
London
, England
.
Tom Lennox, vice president of corporate communications for Abercrombie & Fitch, stated, "We have chosen to bring the A&F Quarterly to the UK because our London flagship has been a phenomenal success and we were looking for something which we felt would appeal to the British open-minded approach to culture and creativity." The new European version was to be "more mature" than the previous editions in the United States, where, Lennox says, it will no longer be sold because it "has run its course" in America. Lennox said it would be more of a "sophisticated, intellectual approach" providing a "global perspective, which is what the 20-year-old is all about." Lastly, he commented that the Quarterly will be fun and may be found "controversial to some". Saying that the revamped Quarterly will stick to a "similar theme", a company representative also commented that "it will be unique and will definitely grab people's attention." It was announced that the original creative team behind the American A&F Quarterly (including Shahid and Weber) would reunite for the publication's revival in London
. Featured topics would include travel, dining, and trendy neighborhoods, with some articles written by Tyler Brule (founder of the fashion, art, and travel magazine Wallpaper).
Recalling the controversial years of the Quarterly, Claude Knight, director of the charity Kidscape
, stated that "unless the 2008 version takes the fate of its predecessor into account, we will not hesitate to raise grave concerns [about] a racy magazine aimed at teenagers and featuring sexually explicit content." The deputy executive of 4Children
warned that careless promotion of sexual images and alcohol drinking could leave great consequences, especially in the UK, where there is "a high drinking culture and there are links between the use of alcohol and sex that is later regretted."
A UK£
100 price and a massive customer turnout was expected at the flagship store over the returning publication. Market analysis revealed that the relaunch of the Quarterly in Europe came at an opportune time for Abercrombie & Fitch because tolerance for less-regulated publications is higher there, and the demand for the A&F brand is high and on the rise. This was the reason for why A&F began international expansion in the UK first.
for £249.99 (about $493.88 USD).
The issue is a hardcover
and is "lavishly bound" similarly to RUEHL books also by Bruce Weber. The photography carries out an over all theme of "Paradise
", with models photographed with and around exotic flora
. An allusion is made toward Adam and Eve
in the way that two nude models behold a bitten apple
. Many of the images used in the Spring 2008 season the Quarterly were also displayed in stores. Vogue UK
called Weber's photography "hyper-sexy."
Abercrombie & Fitch had remained tight-lipped over its plans to reintroduce A&F Quarterly throughout the whole process (2009–2010). The company introduced the "A&F Book" feature on its online store for Christmas 2009 as a collection of seasonal photography themed "FIERCE
". The feature was updated for Spring 2010 in February. It was titled "Spring Fever" and remained up until April when it was removed. On regarding its "Back-to-School" 2010 campaign, in January 2010, on its iPhone
app, A&F had only commented, "Brr...!!! February will be the next photo shoot for the Back-to-School/Christmas 2010 campaign. We've got our fingers crossed that we'll be going somewhere sunny, warm, and sandy..."
On 17 June 2010, Abercrombie & Fitch officially announced on its Facebook
page that it is relaunching A&F Quarterly: "It's Back. Mom found it under the bed. Bought another one. Bro stole every copy. Bought more. ...Girlfriend... She just shook her head, and then 'borrowed it.' Bought back stock. The Quarterly. It's BACK! Pre-order your copy today...it's got all the things A&F does best...Abs, hot bodies and a whole lot more..." Within the following days, the announcement made headlines through various reputable news sources and fashion blogs.
An A&F spokesperson told Stylelist, "[A&F Quarterly will be] part of a larger marketing campaign that ties in with in-store happenings in July. [It'll be] sexy, playful, and provocative -- it's everything we love about Abercrombie & Fitch." Stylelist also became the first source to be provided a preview to the Quarterly. Soon after, Fashionista.com offered never-before-seen photography from the upcoming Quarterly.
The A&F Quarterly will be part of the "Back-to-School" 2010 marketing campaign and its theme being an A&F "Hollywood screen test
": A lead story will be offered mimicking American Idol
: "The staff of A&F Studios opens up to editorial to explain the steps the division takes to find new, young, hot boys. The cattle-call approach to herd young talent ends with the best of the beefcake earning a screen test that 'could be the flint to spark the trip to the star'." Returning to the publication is Bruce Weber, who remains exlcusive photographer for the A&F company and shot the images in February 2010. Behind-the-scenes shots will also provide a look behind Weber's A&F coveted photo shoots. Fashionista praised Weber's work as "sultry, voyeuristic, black and white...classic Weber."
Sources consider the move to reintroduce the publication as a drastic attempt to boost sales in the American market. Revenue has been minimally declining since the late-2000s recession began, and the Quarterly is noticeably credited for A&F's continued success in the early 2000s in a "pre-social media" environment. Analysts noticed the increase in revenue from the 2008 Quarterly relaunch in London, and will pay attention to the results of the 2010 American relaunch. There is a majority of optimism towards the relaunch, since A&F sales have been improving recently and the Quarterly is expected to lure in shoppers. RBC Capital Markets analyst Howard Tubin mentioned that the catalog probably won't make a material difference on earnings, but added that any media exposure related to the catalog will be a positive for the New Albany, Ohio-based company." TheConsumerist.com, however, commented the timing is inopportune: "For any company, let alone an apparel retailer, to be starting a magazine in this economy really bucks the trends," said Columbus retail consultant Chris Boring of Boulevard Strategies. "I just don't see the market out there for a $10 magazine, especially with teenagers so into technology. I would think the money would be better spent on some new mobile app."
Harkening back to the original American version, the new Quarterly was designed not as exclusive as was the 2008 release. With that said, the issue was made available for pre-order online abercrombie.com on June 17 for $10 USD at 176 pages. Due to suggestive content, the publication was may only available for pick-up instore with identification. The plastic wrapping contained a warning notice in three languages (English
, Italian
, and Japanese
) while the back cover read the pricing in six different currencies (USD $10, JPY ¥1600, EUR €12, CAD $14, GBP ₤10, DKK 100).
Library owns an inventory of A&F Quarterly publications, 1997–2003.
Note: No Quarterly was issued for Christmas 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lifestyle periodical by Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
. Targeted towards the college-aged youth (18-22), the Quarterly primarily serves as a promotional vehicle for the A&F brand. Its contents prominently feature photo spreads by A&F photographer Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (photographer)
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone...
and also encompass a variety of articles on lifestyle, sex, entertainment, travel, dining, and celebrity interviews.
The Quarterlys inclusion of nudity and sexuality has been a continual controversial topic. Positive criticism during its initial American run (1997–2003) called it an ingenious marketing tool, the envy of the publishing world, which "redefined the All-American look for teenagers." Negative criticism summarized its American run (1997–2003) as "soft porn" and racy. There were numerous lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s and boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
s focusing on moral and religious grounds which included the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, the American Decency Association
American Decency Association
The American Decency Association is a non-profit organization associated with the Christian right based in Fremont, Michigan. Its principal cause is against pornography and "indecent" media. The ADA was founded in 1999 by former elementary school teacher, Bill Johnson, the first-named state...
, and the Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
organization.
Abercrombie & Fitch discontinued A&F Quarterly in 2003, and later resurfaced it as a one-time limited edition exclusively for the European market (2008). A&F Quarterly returned in 2010 as an element for the Back-to-School marketing campaign, becoming the first issue sold simultaneously worldwide.
During its American publication, circulation reached a peak of 1.2 million. The Quarterly had a distribution of about 200,000 copies through sales in Abercrombie & Fitch stores (at US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
6.00 a copy) and subscriptions ($12.00 a year). Advertisements for A&F Quarterly appeared in Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
, Out
Out (magazine)
Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
.
Initial launch of the "magalog"
Abercrombie & FitchAbercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
introduced A&F Quarterly as a marketing tool to express the A&F lifestyle. The Quarterly was meant to further establish the image of Abercrombie & Fitch as synonymous with sex
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
: The "neo-preppy
Preppy
Preppy, preppie, or prep refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, often considered a subculture...
and all-American perfection." The publication was coined a "magalog" for its purpose of serving as both a magazine and a catalog for the A&F brand. Its contents focused on entertaining, and giving advice to, the collegiate youth with an emphasis of having youthful fun and exploring sexuality.
The company collaborated with prominent figures in the fashion marketing world to produce the publication: Savas Abadsidis, Sam Shahid, and Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (photographer)
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone...
. Weber had been recognized before for his erotic beefcake
Beefcake
Beefcake is a term denoting the use of nude or semi-nude male bodies. It can refer to a genre or a person. It often is used to denote male sexual attractiveness stemming from physical build but the definition has expanded to include anyone interested in physical fitness, bodybuilding and weight...
photography, and Shahid was notable for his Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
' "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins" Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
and his Banana Republic's "Free Souls" campaign. The two had previously worked together at Calvin Klein. For the Quarterly, Abadsidis served as editor-in-chief, Shahid as creative director, and Weber as exclusive photographer. Weber splashed A&F Quarterly with nudity (though non-frontal) and erotic heterosexuality
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
A&F Quarterly made its debut in June 1997 and quickly became popular. Subsequent publications were released on a quarterly basis, one for each Abercrombie & Fitch fashion season ("Spring Break", "Summer", "Back-to-School", and "Christmas"). The first issue was considered relatively tame, with subsequent publications becoming more and more explicit. Abercrombie & Fitch stores required over-age proof and obscured cover nudity; nonetheless, parents complained that the publication found its way to younger-aged children.
A&F spokesperson Hampton Carney said, "it is beautiful fashion photography. It's clean, sexy, and we think our customers will really love it."
A&F vs American Eagle
In June 1998, Abercrombie & Fitch filed a lawsuit against rival clothing retailer American Eagle OutfittersAmerican Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties. Appeals from the court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at Cincinnati The...
, alleging that "AE impermissibly copied the designs of certain articles of clothing, in-store advertising displays, and a catalog [A&F Quarterly]." In July 1999, the court granted American Eagle's motion for summary judgment
Summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
in its favor.
According to A&F's initial complaint
Complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons that the filing party or parties In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties In...
, the company identified A&F Quarterly as one of its "unique and inherently distinctive features"
- the creation of a cutting edge "cool" image through photographs and advertising and promotional material, such as the A&F Quarterly (the "catalog" or "Quarterly"). The Quarterly presents the Abercrombie brand and trade dress in a unique manner: namely, it features the Abercrombie brand and trade dress in a "cutout" or "clothesline" style [as opposed to only depicting models wearing its apparel] and uses color bars to illustrate the available colors of the item, while combining a consistent conceptual theme with a lifestyle editorial content of music, electronics, books, and magazine features. The catalog is printed on cougar vellum paper, which is unique for a catalog.
The district court ruled that what A&F described as its distinctive trade dress
Trade dress
Trade dress is a legal term of art that generally refers to characteristics of the visual appearance of a product or its packaging that signify the source of the product to consumers...
was (in the words of the appellate court) "too generic and descriptive" to warrant protection under the Lanham Act
Lanham Act
The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising.-History:Named for Representative Fritz G...
. A&F appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed this judgment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
, which again ruled for American Eagle. The court stated that "Abercrombie's clothing designs and in-store presentations are legally functional non-protectable trade dress and that Abercrombie could not possibly have carried its burden of proving that American's catalog was confusingly similar to what we have presumed is the protectable trade dress of Abercrombie's Quarterly."
The Court of Appeals, in the course of comparing the two stores' catalogs, described the Quarterly as follows:
- Abercrombie uses grainy images of exceptionally fit and attractive young people in outdoor (often collegiate) settings, alone and in groups, wearing more or less A&F clothing in ways that convey their allegiance to the brand while also seemingly attempting to create a sexual mystique about the wearer....Throughout the Quarterly, A&F makes extensive use of photographs depicting apparently college-aged people in often erotic or homoerotic poses or situations wearing clothes with A&F logos displayed more or less prominently. A&F works with noted fashion photographer Bruce Weber, whose style is well-known in the industry and recognizable by even the uninitiated.
The court concluded that although the above characteristics distinguished the Quarterly from AE's catalog,
- No rational trier of fact could conclude that the overall appearances created by the configuration of the two catalogs are similar....There is so little danger of a consumer picking up the two catalogs and not quickly realizing that they emanate from different sources that judgment as a matter of law for American Eagle is appropriate.
Mounting protest and concern
Mothers Against Drunk DrivingMothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
spoke out against the Quarterly after its 1998 "Back-to-School" issue featured alcoholic drink recipes (with names such as "Brain Hemorrhage") and instructions for a drinking game. The Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group focusing on nutritional education and awareness.-History and funding:...
also protested the "Drinking 101" promotion, which advised: "Rather than the standard beer binge, indulge in some creative drinking this semester." The article included recipes for ten mixed drinks and a spinner featuring pictures of each drink, intended to be used in various drinking games. Abercrombie & Fitch ordered the drinking game pages removed from its stores' remaining copies and sent apology letters to its subscribers.
In 1999, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
lieutenant governor Corinne Wood
Corinne Wood
Corinne J. Wood served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of the US state of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Illinois and Loyola University School of Law, Wood was named general counsel to the Illinois Commissioner of Banks and Trusts.-Background:Born as...
called for a consumer boycott of Abercrombie & Fitch because of the sexually explicit nature of the Quarterly 's "Naughty or Nice" holiday issue, which included nude photographs and an interview with porn star Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
. Among the images that stirred controversy was a picture of Santa and Mrs. Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
engaging in sadomasochistic behavior, across the page from the statement "Sometimes it's good to be bad." The Illinois Coalition of Sexual Assault assisted the boycott. That same year, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
attorney general (and later governor) Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...
sent a letter to the company complaining that the holiday catalog contained sexual material that could not be distributed to minors under Michigan law. The catalog featured an A&F "sexpert" who offered advice on "sex for three" and told readers willing to "go down
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
" on a date at the movies that it was acceptable, "just so long as you do not disturb those around you." Four states threatened legal action over the issue.
In 2001, cultural conservatives
Cultural conservatism
Cultural conservatism is described as the preservation of the heritage of one nation, or of a shared culture that is not defined by national boundaries. Other variants of cultural conservatism are concerned with culture attached to a given language such as Arabic.The shared culture may be as...
and anti-porn feminists
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
called for a boycott of A&F over the Summer 2001 issue of A&F Quarterly, which included photographs of naked or near-naked young people frolicking on the beach. The images also included top-naked young women and rear-naked young men on top of each other. The head of Concerned Christians of America said, "The exploitation of sex and young people in A&F's catalog is not only atrocious but also a psychological molestation of their teen-age customers." The National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
criticized the catalog for promoting "unrealistic body types" and displaying images that simulate group sex. The catalog included an interview with porn star Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
, who discussed performing oral sex on himself and using a dildo
Dildo
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with partners.- Description and uses :...
cast from his own penis.
The Back-to-School 2001 issue (subtitled The Brightest) featured a fictitious A&F University backdrop. Photos of women splashing naked in a fountain were inspired by Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
's supposed skinny-dipping at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
. Another set was inspired by a UC Berkeley student that spent a day nude in class. The typical protest followed the release.
No issues were distributed during the Christmas season following the September 11 attacks, because the company felt the tone of the publication was not suitable for the mood at that time.
Creative Director Sam Shahid generated more criticism with his January 2003 statement: "We don't buckle under to criticism. We feel we're right about what we're doing, I'm not out to hurt anybody and nobody is damaged by any of this."
Non-A&F advertisements
Shahid stated that A&F had been thinking about providing commercial space in A&F Quarterly for a long time. The company finally made four spreads available in the Summer 2002 issue, which were bought by Sony Computer EntertainmentSony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
(for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game console), SoBe
SoBe
SoBe is a brand of teas, fruit-juice blends and enhanced water beverages owned by PepsiCo. The name SoBe is an abbreviation of South Beach, named after the upscale area located in Miami Beach, Florida. In the past, the SoBe name has also been licensed for gum and chocolate products...
, The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
(promoting Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, which starred previous A&F model Tom Welling
Tom Welling
Thomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
), and Trek Bicycle Corporation
Trek Bicycle Corporation
Trek Bicycle Corporation is a major bicycle and cycling product manufacturer and distributor under brand names Trek, Gary Fisher, Bontrager, Klein and until recently, LeMond Racing Cycles...
. Spokesmen for WB told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that they found it intriguing and took the ad space because A&F assured they would be the only television advertiser. Spokeswomen for SoBe called the Quarterly a "good fit" because SoBe targets the same age group as A&F.
The decision to discontinue
For Christmas 2003, Abercrombie & Fitch released its most controversial Quarterly yet. It was 280 pages and was subtitled David Abercrombie & Ezra FitchEzra Fitch
Ezra Hasbrouck Fitch was the co-founder of the modern lifestyle brand Abercrombie & Fitch and is attributed with the historical introduction of Mahjong to the United States....
's Christmas Field Guide. The cover proclaimed in bold letters, "280 pages of moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, chivalry
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
, group sex
Group sex
Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Group sex can occur amongst people of all sexual orientations and genders...
and more." The inside features discussed tips for oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
and displayed images of group sex and nude young adults frolicking in a river. Included was a letter from the editor which snidely read: "We don't want much this year, but in keeping with the spirit, we'd like to ask forgiveness from some of the people we've offended over the years....If you'd be so kind, please offer our apologies to the following: the Catholic League
Catholic League (U.S.)
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, often shortened to the Catholic League, is an American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization...
, former Lt. Governor Corrine Wood of Illinois, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Asian American Association, N.O.W." The reaction was an unprecedented wave of strong protest. While protest was mounting, a former model revealed that subjects unwilling to go nude were dismissed by Weber and Shahid, and that Weber constantly pressured them to "act sexier". A Quarterly contributor remarked, "They're [A&F] all about crossing the lines, but this time they drew a line in the sand. They were kind of asking for it."
On December 9, 2003, Abercrombie & Fitch announced its decision to withdraw the issue and to end the publication, stating that the Christmas issue would be its last. Chairman and CEO Mike Jeffries stated that he ended the Quarterly because he was "bored" with it. A company spokesperson said that "we just felt it was time to retire it and come back with something that has beautiful imagery and classical photos." Another statement from the company said that "while [A&F] has enjoyed success with the quarterly over the years, the company believes it is time for new thinking and looks forward to unveiling an innovative and exciting campaign in the spring." Copies were removed from store shelves, and the remainder were distributed only to subscribers.
A&F had finished shooting for A&F Quarterly Spring 2004 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in October 2003.
Reactions
There were many reports that the editor-in-chief Savas Abadsidis was "quietly" fired a week before December 9. The reason told was that there had been "creative differences over the Quarterlys next step." A&F executives hoped that the controversy over the Christmas Field Guide would die down, but it did not, and so the decision to discontinue had to be made. Many of the activists groups saw their role against the publication as the major factor in its downfall.Abercrombie & Fitch analysts received the decision with praise. Supposedly, the Quarterly was discontinued because it took up time and money that should have been allocated to more important company issues: "It was more trouble than it was worth." Store sales had been declining, with a major fall in November 2003 of 13%. As a result, the analysts/investors were being hit really hard financially. It was expected that without the weight of the Quarterly, A&F could focus more on producing better results for upcoming fiscal quarters. Analyst Robert Buchanan from A.G. Edwards & Sons wrote to investors that A&F Quarterly was unimportant in his view, and, that by recognizing this, A&F should be able to bring business back up by focusing on its clothing. Jeffrey Klinefelter of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
Piper Jaffray
Piper Jaffray & Co. , often shortened to just Piper Jaffray or PiperJaffray, is a U.S. middle-market investment banking firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and sells financial advice, investment products, and transaction execution within targeted sectors of the financial services marketplace...
echoed this sentiment, hoping that the US$33 used towards the publication and marketing would help launch a successful Spring Break 2004.
The decision did not change the contempt with which some community-focused groups viewed Abercrombie & Fitch. The big question on every critic's mind was addressed by the Focus on the Family: "[Abercrombie & Fitch] will stop producing pornographic catalogues, but what will replace them?" Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, commented that "they [Abercrombie & Fitch] have a track record of sexual exploitation and there are many different ways to continue that campaign." Burres had previously posted an advertisement in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
to question if A&F's investors really knew what they were investing in. Alissa Quart penned the book Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers and had negative view towards the defunct publication: "It became more of an emblem than anything else. It served as an icon for the hypocrisy of America's attitude toward youth, using it as a sign of innocence while at the same time peddling a semi pornographic catalogue at them."
Absence (2004–2007)
Out-of-print copies of the Quarterly have become highly sought after as collectibles. eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
is the target destination for purchasing the rare periodicals; on the site, a single copy received a bid of US$122.50 after just four hours and thirty minutes on auction.
In 2004, the defunct publication was replaced with A&F Magazine/A&F: Rising Stars, a tame collection of photos and essays about rising young celebrities. It featured Justin Bruening
Justin Bruening
Justin Bruening is an American actor and former fashion model. In 2003, his acting career began when he was cast in the role of Jamie Martin on the daytime drama All My Children, earning him a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2005 for the portrayal...
, Poppy Montgomery
Poppy Montgomery
Poppy Montgomery , is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Samantha Spade on Without a Trace...
, Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is an American actress and fashion model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr...
(all from Back-to-School 2004) and Jeremy Bloom
Jeremy Bloom
Jeremy Ryan Bloom is a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympian and eleven-time World Cup gold medalist in freestyle moguls skiing. In 2005, he won a record six straight World Cup events, the most in a single season in the sport's history....
(Christmas 2004). This magazine was far less popular than the Quarterly and was soon discontinued, and for a time the company published a seasonal catalog.
Background and criticism
In 2008, Abercrombie & Fitch announced that it would relaunch A&F Quarterly exclusively for the European market, mainly the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where A&F hoped consumers would be more open-minded than Americans. The company planned a release in March or April 2008 in the A&F London flagship store
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
– just over a year after the opening of the first international A&F flagship at 7 Burlington Gardens in Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Tom Lennox, vice president of corporate communications for Abercrombie & Fitch, stated, "We have chosen to bring the A&F Quarterly to the UK because our London flagship has been a phenomenal success and we were looking for something which we felt would appeal to the British open-minded approach to culture and creativity." The new European version was to be "more mature" than the previous editions in the United States, where, Lennox says, it will no longer be sold because it "has run its course" in America. Lennox said it would be more of a "sophisticated, intellectual approach" providing a "global perspective, which is what the 20-year-old is all about." Lastly, he commented that the Quarterly will be fun and may be found "controversial to some". Saying that the revamped Quarterly will stick to a "similar theme", a company representative also commented that "it will be unique and will definitely grab people's attention." It was announced that the original creative team behind the American A&F Quarterly (including Shahid and Weber) would reunite for the publication's revival in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Featured topics would include travel, dining, and trendy neighborhoods, with some articles written by Tyler Brule (founder of the fashion, art, and travel magazine Wallpaper).
Recalling the controversial years of the Quarterly, Claude Knight, director of the charity Kidscape
Kidscape
The London-based charity Kidscape was established in 1985 by child psychologist Michele Elliott. Its focus is on children’s safety, with an emphasis on the prevention of harm by equipping children with techniques and mindsets that help them stay safe....
, stated that "unless the 2008 version takes the fate of its predecessor into account, we will not hesitate to raise grave concerns [about] a racy magazine aimed at teenagers and featuring sexually explicit content." The deputy executive of 4Children
4Children
4Children is a charity in the UK focusing on children and families. Formerly the National Out of School Alliance and then the Kids' Club Network, the organisation was formed in 1981 to develop after-school provision following research conducted by Bassac....
warned that careless promotion of sexual images and alcohol drinking could leave great consequences, especially in the UK, where there is "a high drinking culture and there are links between the use of alcohol and sex that is later regretted."
A UK£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
100 price and a massive customer turnout was expected at the flagship store over the returning publication. Market analysis revealed that the relaunch of the Quarterly in Europe came at an opportune time for Abercrombie & Fitch because tolerance for less-regulated publications is higher there, and the demand for the A&F brand is high and on the rise. This was the reason for why A&F began international expansion in the UK first.
The issue
A&F Quarterly hit shelves in the London A&F flagship on April 5, 2008 (a month later than was anticipated). The limited edition issue of 500 (2000 in total print run) copies was entitled Return to Paradise and was labeled with a price of UK£100 (US$159.00). The company set strict measures to regulate to whom the issue was sold. Demand for the edition, a worldwide exclusive, was high throughout the season. During the season, a copy was sold on eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for £249.99 (about $493.88 USD).
The issue is a hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
and is "lavishly bound" similarly to RUEHL books also by Bruce Weber. The photography carries out an over all theme of "Paradise
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
", with models photographed with and around exotic flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. An allusion is made toward Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
in the way that two nude models behold a bitten apple
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
In the Book of Genesis, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of knowledge was a tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden. . God directly forbade Adam to eat the fruit of this tree...
. Many of the images used in the Spring 2008 season the Quarterly were also displayed in stores. Vogue UK
Vogue (British magazine)
The British edition of Vogue is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1916.When British Vogue was launched, it was the first overseas edition of an existing fashion magazine. Under the magazine's first editor, Elspeth Champcommunal, the magazine was essentially the same as the American...
called Weber's photography "hyper-sexy."
2010 comeback
The A&F Quarterly was resurrected as a promotional element for the Back-to-School 2010 marketing campaign titled "Screen Test."Abercrombie & Fitch had remained tight-lipped over its plans to reintroduce A&F Quarterly throughout the whole process (2009–2010). The company introduced the "A&F Book" feature on its online store for Christmas 2009 as a collection of seasonal photography themed "FIERCE
Fierce (A&F fragrance)
Fierce is a men's fragrance by Abercrombie & Fitch. The cologne marked the first introduction of an A&F scent for men when it was launched in 2002. Today, Fierce is the signature scent of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand.Abercrombie & Fitch has sold over $190 million USD of Fierce since 2002...
". The feature was updated for Spring 2010 in February. It was titled "Spring Fever" and remained up until April when it was removed. On regarding its "Back-to-School" 2010 campaign, in January 2010, on its iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
app, A&F had only commented, "Brr...!!! February will be the next photo shoot for the Back-to-School/Christmas 2010 campaign. We've got our fingers crossed that we'll be going somewhere sunny, warm, and sandy..."
On 17 June 2010, Abercrombie & Fitch officially announced on its Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page that it is relaunching A&F Quarterly: "It's Back. Mom found it under the bed. Bought another one. Bro stole every copy. Bought more. ...Girlfriend... She just shook her head, and then 'borrowed it.' Bought back stock. The Quarterly. It's BACK! Pre-order your copy today...it's got all the things A&F does best...Abs, hot bodies and a whole lot more..." Within the following days, the announcement made headlines through various reputable news sources and fashion blogs.
An A&F spokesperson told Stylelist, "[A&F Quarterly will be] part of a larger marketing campaign that ties in with in-store happenings in July. [It'll be] sexy, playful, and provocative -- it's everything we love about Abercrombie & Fitch." Stylelist also became the first source to be provided a preview to the Quarterly. Soon after, Fashionista.com offered never-before-seen photography from the upcoming Quarterly.
The A&F Quarterly will be part of the "Back-to-School" 2010 marketing campaign and its theme being an A&F "Hollywood screen test
Screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
": A lead story will be offered mimicking American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
: "The staff of A&F Studios opens up to editorial to explain the steps the division takes to find new, young, hot boys. The cattle-call approach to herd young talent ends with the best of the beefcake earning a screen test that 'could be the flint to spark the trip to the star'." Returning to the publication is Bruce Weber, who remains exlcusive photographer for the A&F company and shot the images in February 2010. Behind-the-scenes shots will also provide a look behind Weber's A&F coveted photo shoots. Fashionista praised Weber's work as "sultry, voyeuristic, black and white...classic Weber."
Sources consider the move to reintroduce the publication as a drastic attempt to boost sales in the American market. Revenue has been minimally declining since the late-2000s recession began, and the Quarterly is noticeably credited for A&F's continued success in the early 2000s in a "pre-social media" environment. Analysts noticed the increase in revenue from the 2008 Quarterly relaunch in London, and will pay attention to the results of the 2010 American relaunch. There is a majority of optimism towards the relaunch, since A&F sales have been improving recently and the Quarterly is expected to lure in shoppers. RBC Capital Markets analyst Howard Tubin mentioned that the catalog probably won't make a material difference on earnings, but added that any media exposure related to the catalog will be a positive for the New Albany, Ohio-based company." TheConsumerist.com, however, commented the timing is inopportune: "For any company, let alone an apparel retailer, to be starting a magazine in this economy really bucks the trends," said Columbus retail consultant Chris Boring of Boulevard Strategies. "I just don't see the market out there for a $10 magazine, especially with teenagers so into technology. I would think the money would be better spent on some new mobile app."
Harkening back to the original American version, the new Quarterly was designed not as exclusive as was the 2008 release. With that said, the issue was made available for pre-order online abercrombie.com on June 17 for $10 USD at 176 pages. Due to suggestive content, the publication was may only available for pick-up instore with identification. The plastic wrapping contained a warning notice in three languages (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
) while the back cover read the pricing in six different currencies (USD $10, JPY ¥1600, EUR €12, CAD $14, GBP ₤10, DKK 100).
American
The following is a list of the A&F Quarterly publications released in the United States from 1997 through 2003. This list is missing several publications' subtitles. The Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
Library owns an inventory of A&F Quarterly publications, 1997–2003.
Note: No Quarterly was issued for Christmas 2001.
| Issue number | Main title / Season released | Subtitle | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Back-to-School 1997 | Live it. | |
| 2 | Christmas 1997 | A Cool Yule | |
| 3 | Spring Break 1998 | Looking For Love | |
| 4 | Summer 1998 | Seeking Serious Fun | |
| 5 | Back-to-School 1998 | On The Road | Gave alcohol drink recipes and tips for great alcohol-related games for going back to the dorm. |
| 6 | Christmas 1998 | Ring It In | |
| 7 | Spring Break 1999 | Spring Fever | |
| 8 | Summer 1999 | Summer Dreams | |
| 9 | Back-to-School 1999 | Innocents Abroad | Photography was shot in and around London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
| 10 | Christmas 1999 | Naughty or Nice | Featured interview with Jenna Jameson, advice on three-way and oral sex, and "naughty" Santa and wife photo. |
| 11 | Spring Break 2000 | Wild & Willing | |
| 12 | Summer 2000 | Go Play | |
| 13 | Back-to-School 2000 | New York | |
| 14 | Christmas 2000 | A Very Emerson Christmas | |
| 15 | Spring Break 2001 | XXX | Featured the Carlson twins Carlson Twins Kyle and Lane Carlson, known collectively as the Carlson Twins, are identical twin brothers and work together as male fashion models.-Biography:... in (homoerotic poses and nude) playing football Football Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"... and frolicking in a lake. |
| 16 | Summer 2001 | Let Summer Begin | Featured interview with Ron Jeremy Ron Jeremy Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list... and photos simulating group sex Group sex Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Group sex can occur amongst people of all sexual orientations and genders... . |
| 17 | Back-to-School 2001 | The Brightest | |
| 18 | Spring Break 2002 | About Love... | |
| 19 | Summer 2002 | Paradise Found | |
| 20 | Back-to-School 2002 | Back To School | |
| 21 | Christmas 2002 | Dear Saint Nick | |
| 22 | Spring Break 2003 | Bring It On... | |
| 23 | Summer 2003 | Presents... | |
| 24 | Back-to-School 2003 | The Sex Ed Issue | Text to accompany the photographs by Slavoj Žižek Slavoj Žižek Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, critical theorist working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory, and theoretical psychoanalysis.... . |
| 25 | Christmas 2003 | David Abercrombie & Ezra Fitch's Christmas Field Guide | Articles on group, oral sex, and ice sports. Photographs of nude models in nature. Last American Quarterly. |
| 26 | Spring 2004 (Unreleased to public) | Was already completed by the time the company decided to discontinue the magazine. Had a few copies printed for select people. |
European
This list focuses on the European publication released in 2008.| Issue number | Main title / Season released | Subtitle | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Spring Break 2008 | Return to Paradise | The first Quarterly in four years. Sold only in the London A&F flagship store. |
Global
Due to A&F's ongoing international expansion, the relaunched 2010 A&F Quarterly became the first to be sold on a global scale through A&F's worldwide locations.| Issue number | Main title / Season released | Subtitle | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Back-to-School 2010 | Screen Test | Ties in with many marketing moves introduced for the BTS 2010 fashion season |
External links
- Dan Reines, "The Abercrombie & Fitch Catalog Index," NerveNerveA peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
, June 11, 2002.