Who owns American Apparel?
American Apparel is owned by Gildan (Canada, NYSE: GIL), which has owned the brand since 8 February 2017.[1]
Key facts
- Current owner
- Gildan Activewear Inc. verified
- Owned since
- Previous owner
- None recorded
- Owner HQ
- 🇨🇦 Canada, Montreal
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States, Los Angeles, California
- Founded
- 1989
- Category
- Apparel, footwear & accessories › Fashion apparel › Casual & denim
- Parent ticker
- NYSE: GIL
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About American Apparel
American Apparel made clothing in Los Angeles and built its identity on domestic manufacturing and provocative advertising before collapsing amid governance failures. Gildan bought the brand in 2017 and moved production abroad. The move abroad ended the domestic manufacturing that had been the brand's entire proposition, so what Gildan bought was a name whose meaning it then removed.
Ownership timeline of American Apparel
Where American Apparel sits in Gildan
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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Other brands owned by Gildan in apparel, footwear & accessories
Latest news about American Apparel
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of American Apparel?
The parent company of American Apparel is Gildan, a publicly listed company headquartered in Canada.
Is American Apparel American or Canadian?
American Apparel originated in the United States in 1989, but it is owned today by Gildan, which is headquartered in Canada. So American Apparel is an American-origin brand under Canadian ownership.
Since when has Gildan owned American Apparel?
Gildan has owned American Apparel since 8 February 2017.
Is American Apparel still owned by Gildan?
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, American Apparel is still owned by Gildan. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Gildan Activewear Inc. Annual Report on Form 40-F filed 2026-02-26 — SEC EDGAR, SEC filing, published 26 February 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
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