TORONTO and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Apparel (AMEX:APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, has opened a new store in Toronto. The 2,800 sq ft store is in the Yorkdale Shopping Center, the premiere mall in Canada. Located between Tommy Hilfiger and Zara, the towering 50 ft high ceilings make this one of the most impressive American Apparel storefronts in the world. It features an enormous graphic of an American Apparel model and a series of mannequins suspended by cables from the ceiling. "We've been waiting for three years for the perfect location in this mall. The right one opened up and we were able to come in under ideal conditions. We couldn't be more excited about this store," said Dan Abenhaim, American Apparel's Canadian operations manager. The Yorkdale store features American Apparel's staple collection of basic t-shirts, sweatshirts and underwear, as well as the company's new product categories, which include men's button down dress shirts, floral prints, and jackets. American Apparel has hired more than 30 employees for the store as part of the company's global search for models, store associates and contributors. Although American Apparel is based in Los Angeles, it has a strong Canadian component. Dov Charney, the founder and CEO, was born in Montreal, and many American Apparel employees at the company headquarters are Canadian immigrants. "Canada is one of our strongest markets and second largest base of operations. The Yorkdale Shopping Center is a centrally located, ambitious mall concept which we're delighted to be a part of," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel. The opening occurred on Friday, to the satisfaction of many American Apparel fans who had discussed their anticipation of the new store online. "We had a strong opening on our first day with positive feedback from new customers and our employees. We can feel the store quickly becoming a destination in this mall," said Abenhaim American Apparel is known for its provocative advertisements, outspoken political viewpoints and its Sweatshop Free labor policy. Garment workers for the company are paid fair wages (between $12-18 USD per hour) and have access to low-cost medical insurance for themselves and their families. American Apparel has over 10,500 employees and is the largest clothing manufacturer in North America. With this opening, American Apparel now has more than 260 stores in 20 countries, including a recently opened location in Dublin, Ireland. About American Apparel American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of July 31, 2009, American Apparel employed approximately 10,000 people and operated over 275 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China. American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers. In addition to its retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates an online retail e-commerce website at http://www.americanapparel.com/. http://aashare.com/3459/IMG_2020.JPG http://aashare.com/3459/IMG_2045.JPG DATASOURCE: American Apparel CONTACT: Marsha Brady of American Apparel, +1-213-488-0226, Web Site: http://www.americanapparel.com/

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