LOS ANGELES and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, has opened a new store in Victoria, British Columbia.

The 3,000 sq. ft. store is on Lower Johnson Street, a block of some of the most exciting boutiques, restaurants and cafes in Canada. American Apparel renovated the space, using city archive photos of the building's original look for inspiration, and designed the storefront to reflect the neighborhood's art and local scene.

"Lower Johnson is the perfect street for our brand and we were very set on having our only store in Victoria on this street as opposed to the malls or another more commercial street. We wanted this to be convenient to the loyal customers who had been driving all the way to Vancouver to shop at American Apparel," said Dan Abenhaim, American Apparel's Canadian operations manager.

The Victoria store, the company's 41st Canadian location, features American Apparel's staple collection of basic t-shirts, sweatshirts and underwear, as well as the company's new product categories designed for the upcoming winter season, like wool coats, ear muffs, versatile scarves and gloves. More than 15 employees were hired for the store, chosen for their unique ability to style and wear these garments in ways that inspire creative uses for the customer. By incorporating the vibrant culture of Johnson Street in this way, the company hopes to make the store an important part of the landscape.

"American Apparel is strong in Canada because the people understand the international sensibility of the brand. The first American Apparel store in the world opened in Montreal almost 6 years ago to the day and we couldn't be happier to finally be in Victoria," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.

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 September 30, 2009, American Apparel employed approximately 9,000 people and operated over 275 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, 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.

SOURCE American Apparel