Marcus Allen has a long history with Abercrombie & Fitch and quite a number of pieces. The New York–based stylist estimates he has more than 1,000 items—“at minimum”—some of which date back to the 1960s. To see the pieces, clients have to visit his appointment-only archive titled The Society Archive, much of which he often pulls from for his own styling. Allen worked at the infamous “all-American” mall brand when he was in high school in a small town outside of Boston. As a teen, he was fascinated. “I really, really love product, so I’ve always been intrigued by brands. If you walk into a store in the mall, you understand exactly what that world is. It’s why we spend money,” he says.
Of course, Abercrombie & Fitch is riddled with controversy. This year’s documentary White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch addresses the brand’s alleged hiring practices, which favored white employees with thin and fit body types. “It’s not my intention to recreate what Abercrombie & Fitch was doing or promoting,” Allen says. “My intention is to promote and build a brand identity with a new perspective with this familiar product.”
Some of his favorite pieces are the brand’s cargo pants. He has about 80 pairs, some of which he has had since his high school days in the early ’00s. “They’re good for being on set,” says Allen. His rarest piece is a pair of embroidered ones with flowers. “I never saw them when I was working there. I found them, and they were crazy expensive. I was like, I have to buy these because they’re so weird. And then I ended up selling them, and then I found a short version of them, which I will not sell.”
In addition, Allen has two discontinued pairs of Abercrombie & Fitch cargo pants embroidered with a dragon, which are nearly impossible to find. The Japanese label Maharishi, who created the “Snopants” famously worn by Jennifer Aniston in her paparazzi photos with Brad Pitt, sued Abercrombie & Fitch back in 2004 after they had copied their designs. Allen owns two iterations of the pants in green and orange. “I can’t find them anywhere,” he says.
Some of his favorite pieces are the brand’s cargo pants. He has about 80 pairs, some of which he has had since his high school days in the early ’00s. “They’re good for being on set,” says Allen. His rarest piece is a pair of embroidered ones with flowers. “I never saw them when I was working there. I found them, and they were crazy expensive. I was like, I have to buy these because they’re so weird. And then I ended up selling them, and then I found a short version of them, which I will not sell.”
In addition, Allen has two discontinued pairs of Abercrombie & Fitch cargo pants embroidered with a dragon, which are nearly impossible to find. The Japanese label Maharishi, who created the “Snopants” famously worn by Jennifer Aniston in her paparazzi photos with Brad Pitt, sued Abercrombie & Fitch back in 2004 after they had copied their designs. Allen owns two iterations of the pants in green and orange. “I can’t find them anywhere,” he says.