shame to awake in a world of hunger: much more than a retailer

London. 28/05/2011. 11.30. Abercrombie & Fitch store:

It is very impresssive, with indoor stairs and balconeys. At the entrance two models welcome you with a big smile. A very handsome boy and a very beautiful girl, both very tall; it could be them:

It's the same inside, it does not matter if they just stand in a corridor or behind a counter. Most of the models (or sales associates) are white. A couple of them dance on the upper tier, seen from below. It's very dark. You have to stand during 45 minutes to pay your goods. Somedays you have to quee outside for entering the store. While you are waiting you could see nice pictures of atheltes of the beginning of last century, all of them male and white.

A very big photograph behind the cashiers:

The system works. A lot of foreigners do not miss the opportunity. Today it's crowded with catalans, tt's he UEFA Champions League final. Cash flows in: 100 GBP, 600 GBP, 1300 GBP, 300 GB, and it continues during the whole morning. The company has posted very healthy sales on the first quarter of 2011, the shares are publicly traded and its market value is $7 bio.

However, the impression could be wrong. It's not true that most of the models (or sales associates) are white. One of the main objectives of Abercrombie is to guarantee diversity:

http://www.abercrombie.com/

As they say, 50% of their workfoce and models is people of color.

The reason why all the models in their webpage are white is just because this season's fashion better fits with white skin:

And diversity is only a question of color, nothing else. No matter the color, you will need to have an Abercrombie look, not a just good look to pass the casting: