Rotondo and former Canadian store owners alleged in two separate lawsuits that they were ousted after refusing to fire employees based on race and appearance. Some current and former employees say higher-ups regularly crossed professional boundaries one former employee told Insider an Italian store owner sexually assaulted her. It's Contempo Casuals for the Gen Z set: crop tops, miniskirts, and a controversial 'one size fits most' tagline.īut while Marsan has made a fortune selling fast fashion to teenage girls, interviews with more than 30 current and former employees from eight cities suggest a business largely built on the exploitation of young women and discrimination against anyone who fails to meet Marsan's white, blond, and skinny ideal. Named after two fictional characters - Brandy, an American girl, and Melville, an Englishman - who fell in love in Rome, the line has developed a loyal following among teenagers who arrive by the thousands to a store opening. Stephan Marsan texted Luca Rotondo that the Newport Beach store was 'only hiring pieces of shit' in his native Italian when he saw a photograph of a store manager.īrandy Melville is the go-to brand for the type of high-school girls who spend hours on TikTok and worship Bella Hadid. 'Cacciala,' Marsan demanded - or 'kick her out.' Marsan texted Rotondo, writing in his native Italian that the store was 'only hiring pieces of shit.' They're going to destroy the store, Marsan wrote in a text message viewed by Insider. In September 2019, Marsan received a photo of a manager in Newport Beach with dark hair wearing chain necklaces. 'If she was Black, if she was fat … he didn't want them in the store,' Rotondo told Insider. If Marsan decides a Brandy Melville store has too many Black employees, he has them replaced with white women, Rotondo said.ĭuring Rotondo's nearly nine years at the company, Marsan instructed him to fire hundreds of employees, Rotondo said.

If Marsan thinks a girl is too heavy or unattractive, he demands that she be fired, according to Luca Rotondo, a former senior vice president. According to Brandy Melville employees, CEO Stephan Marsan wants his staffers to be young, thin, pretty, and white.Įvery day, girls who work at the fast-fashion stores are required to send a full-body photo to executives.

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