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Abercrombie CEO and unverified James Bond nemesis Mike Jeffries has retired from the company after years of instilling “American beefcake sexuality as he saw it: a world of hairless, amply muscled men tussling in a pastoral Eden,” as Matthew Shaer wrote when he profiled the company this year.
In addition to wardrobing teens of the early 2000s in this fantasy, Jeffries was known for cruel, unusual, and petty company practices that defined Abercrombie’s slutty-prep-snob vibes.
In recent years, the company’s perceived mean spirit has failed to communicate to contemporary teens. Abercrombie & Fitch’s board sued Jeffries a month ago regarding lagging sales. After Jeffries’s exit today, shares reportedly shot up.