Forever 21 Isn't Glamorizing Teen Pregnancy
Forever 21, purveyor of all things trendy, just introduced its latest "addition to the family." Meet Love 21 Maternity for -- you guessed it â€"- young women in the family way . Like its sister collection Love 21which targeted toward a slightly older customer (think 20-30), Love 21 Maternity's 16-piece assortment features affordable items such as $8.80 jeans and $19.80 cardigans. The Los Angeles-based company is still in testing mode and only rolled out the collection in Arizona, Alaska, California, Utah and Texas. But Forever 21 is drawing fire for its choice of test markets - five states with high rates of teen pregnancy, according to a January 2010 report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Coincidence? Forever 21's executive vice president, Larry Meyer insists in a statement to CNN, that it is:
"Forever 21 did not create, design or distribute Love 21 Maternity to target, or appeal specifically to pregnant teens. Any relationship between teen pregnancy rates and the locations of our stores is unintentional."
To the company's credit, the blog post about the new line featured a group of pregnant women dishing about style before and after pregnancy, and advice on what to wear to look good and feel comfortable, while showcasing the growing belly. The blog does not list these women's ages. Yet despite their youthful appearance (image right), none of them look like teens (sorry ladies).
But history tells us that the traditionally opportunistic fast fashion retailer isn't above making a few bucks riding the crest of trends.
Note the recent takeover of a failed Saks Fifth Avenue (SKS) in Charleston, SC and its previous move on abandoned Mervyn's properties.
However, the blogosphere has not been kind to Forever 21. Even though the company's signature taxi cab yellow shopping bags are imprinted with an oft quoted Bible verse -- John 3:16 -- http://www.nysun.com/new-york/evangelism-in-fashion/38174/it's gotten a backlash for what appears to be a crass glamorization of teen pregnancy. But the reality may be that management is once again capitalizing on a trend, this one fueled by popular television shows.
Think about it. Pregnant teenagers are a hot commodity on TV, starting with that most gorgeous of cheerleaders Quinn Fabray (played by Dianna Agron), star of (conservative) Fox Broadcasting Company's hit show Glee. Agron's character spent the entirety of two seasons pregnant -- and very definitely under 18. Throughout, she sported youthful, stylish threads that accommodated her "bump" while she sang and shimmied her way through regional competitions and the difficult decision to give her baby up for adoption.
Then there's MTV's 16 and Pregnant, also in its second season, which has also gotten flack for glorifying poverty as well as pregnancy as expectant teens are much more likely to drop out of school, thereby increasing the likelihood that they won't be able to earn as much as their high school and college graduating peers.
In the case of Love 21 Maternity, Forever 21 is once again flexing its (smart) marketing muscle. Pregnant teens are a fact of life, glamorous or not. But so are the expectant 20 and 30-somethings who just want some stylish basics to get them through a few months and not drain their wallets. The $2 billion brand is simply doing what so many others have been lauded for: building loyalty by taking its customers through various life stages. It already has an eye on home furnishings. Don't be surprised if Forever 21 launches a Forever Baby line next.
Images via Forever21.com
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