Documentary “Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fashion” is a damning exposé of the dark underbelly of the clothing industry, focusing its lens on the controversial brand Brandy Melville and its toxic impact not only on its core customer base of teenage girls, but also the detrimental effects fast fashion has on the global environment. Directed by Eva Orner, this documentary shines a harsh light on the brand’s exploitative practices and the damaging effects of its popularity, and the fact that this company is still in business is shocking and infuriating.
Initially known for its trendy California beach style that specifically catered to white, blonde, tall, skinny, all-American surfer girl types, Brandy Melville’s rise to fame was fueled by its slick Instagram presence, copycat designer styles, and affordable prices. Behind the glossy facade was a disturbing reality of racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, sexual assault, and other allegations that have plagued the brand for years.
One of the most disturbing revelations highlighted in the documentary is the brand’s promotion of harmful beauty standards, including labeling size 0 garments as “one size fits all” and encouraging eating disorders among its target demographic. This blatant disregard for the well-being of young girls is deeply unsettling and serves as a stark reminder of the toxic influence of fast fashion on impressionable minds.
Orner interviews former employees of the brand, and it’s eye-opening that when asked how they felt when the truth came to light, nearly every young woman answers that they were “shocked, but not surprised.” Yikes. This common reaction of former employees in itself is one of the most damning things in the documentary, highlighting the silence and complicity that surrounds the darker side of the fashion industry.
The film loses focus when it goes off on a tangent about the growth in fast fashion consumption and the massive waste that’s produced, highlighting the environmental aspects of our addiction to having cheap clothing trends now. It’s a valid point to cover, but this would be better suited as material for another movie because it slows down the momentum of the real backbone of the story.
The most interesting takeaway from “Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fashion” is that the seriousness of the scandals surrounding the brand seem to have been glossed over and quickly forgotten. This documentary is a reminder that this is not okay, and it’s a sobering expose of the darker reality of exploitation and abuse that lies within the fashion industry. It’s a wake-up call for consumers that will have us all thinking twice about the brands we choose to support.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 