Netflix has confirmed a Tuesday, July 1 premiere for Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel, a new documentary dissecting the collapse of one of the most controversial names in fashion retail.
The film tracks the company’s sharp climb in the early 2000s, when it rebranded basic tees into aspirational must-haves. At its peak, American Apparel was a cultural flashpoint—made in the USA, sweatshop-free, and aggressively sexual in its image. But behind the storefronts was a workplace culture that cracked under pressure, dragged down by unchecked power at the top.
Trainwreck focuses on the role of founder Dov Charney, whose behaviour triggered repeated lawsuits and public backlash before the company finally forced him out. The film draws from firsthand accounts, internal footage, and legal records to unpack how a brand built on progressive values became defined by misconduct and mismanagement.
Charney’s leadership style, already polarising inside the fashion industry, pushed boundaries on and off camera. Allegations of sexual harassment, manipulation of staff, and reckless business decisions turned the company into a cautionary tale.
The documentary doesn’t chase nostalgia or rehash the ad campaigns. It goes inside the company’s final years, told by the employees who watched the brand unravel from within.
Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel premieres Tuesday, July 1 at 5:00 PM AEST on Netflix.
