Panorama: Season 2023, Episode 30

2023 - 30: The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool

Panorama investigates allegations of exploitation and abuse at the top of one of the biggest fashion brands in the US. Former CEO Mike Jeffries transformed Abercrombie and Fitch from a failing retail chain to a multibillion-dollar empire and the epitome of cool. Now, after months of painstaking investigation, reporter Rianna Croxford speaks to men who say they were recruited into a dark world, created to satisfy the sexual fantasies of Mike Jeffries and his British partner Matthew Smith. Silenced for years by the fear of breaking non-disclosure agreements, these men describe feeling exploited and traumatised by their experience. One high-profile American lawyer has called for prosecutors to investigate.