Do you know who Brandy Melville is? It’s not one person, it’s actually a clothing brand, popular with teenage girls.

I have driven by the Brandy Melville store local to me, and I noticed how the shop window display seemed void of anything interesting. Beige colors, tiny white tops, little to no patterns on any fabric. I asked my teen daughters if they knew about these clothes and fortunately, they knew very little.

Now that I have watched “Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion” I am so relieved my daughters were not caught up in the hype of this brand.

Director Eva Orner uncovers so many shocking truths about the brand from it’s involvement in fast fashion to allegations of sexual assault. Orner keeps her audience captivated with intimate interviews with former employees who discuss the “mean girl, catty energy,” and pressure to stay thin in order to wear Brandy Melville clothing since it is a “One Size Fits Most” brand. Excuse me, but WHY is this ok? I really thought our younger generations had little tolerance for this kind of body shaming exclusivity.

One former employee named Kali, who is a woman of color, said “If you were white, you had to be in sight.” She was placed in the stock rooms with the other brown girl employees while the white girls stayed on the sales floor. HELLO?!?! WHY ARE THEY STILL IN BUSINESS?!

“Brandy Hellville” not only uncovers a racist and toxic work environment, it also does a deep dive into fast fashion. We are shown exactly where all of our cheaply made unwanted clothes go – spoiler alert, it’s not a good place (below is a photo still from the documentary showing exactly where the clothing ends up).

This documentary is as informative as it is exposing. There is so much more to this story and I will leave the rest for you to find out when you watch it for yourself. I highly recommend this film if:
-You like documentaries.
-You like to hear about drama in the workplace
-You have teenage daughters.
-You have concern for our oceans & environment.

I would like to leave this review with some personal insight. Liz Ricketts was interviewed in this film and she is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Or Foundation whose mission statement is “Too much clothing. Not enough Justice. Too often a consumer. So rarely a human. It is time to recover. You are invited.”

The things she was able to present and speak about struck a nerve. I have known about the perils of fast fashion – but not to this extent. Before I was an English major, I was majoring in Environmental Sciences. My heart is deeply affected by environmental concerns and I have a profound sense of responsibility to save this planet. I would like to share something she said that has really stirred up my emotions:

“It is a continuation of colonialism, and slavery in another form.”

Liz Ricketts, on the threat of fast fashion.

Click here for more information on The Or Foundation

Click here for the IMDB page for “Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion” You can stream this documentary on Max.