Kai Braden recalls a disconcerting onboarding experience at Abercrombie & Fitch in 2006, focusing more on corporate branding than employee training.
Braden describes the hypersexualized environment of Abercrombie, where employees were often treated as mere marketing tools.
As a mixed-race model, he felt tokenized, with minority workers often sidelined and not given key customer-facing roles.
Braden has become an advocate for model protections, contributing to laws like New York’s Fashion Workers Act, aimed at safeguarding the rights of fashion workers.
Despite his challenging experiences, Braden emphasizes that acknowledging past mistreatment can lead to positive changes in the industry.