Kate Flannery

Kate Flannery

Kate Flannery was born in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Flannery attended Bryn Mawr College where she received a B.A. in creative writing.

Kate Flannery is an American author popularly known for her 2023 memoir Strip Tees. She grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania and earned a BA in creative writing from Bryn Mawr College. She works with the Emmy Award-winning show RuPaul’s Drag Race and performs as the lead singer and frontwoman for Big Dick, Los Angeles’s top Little Richard tribute band. Strip Tees is her debut book.

Kate’s memoir Strip Tees opens with an unforgettable line that instantly hooks the reader. The book captures her life as a recent Bryn Mawr graduate searching for purpose.

After graduation, Flannery takes a job at Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia, but she quickly feels unfulfilled and restless. She moves to Los Angeles to start afresh but life there proves harder than she expected. She soon loses her job, runs low on money, and sinks into a deep funk.

One evening, while sitting in a dive bar and drowning her sorrows, Flannery meets a striking woman who encourages her to interview for a position at the clothing retailer American Apparel.

In 2005, American Apparel was one of the hottest fashion brands in the country. It was celebrated for its American-made, non-sweatshop clothing, which includes T-shirts, shorts, and swimsuits. The company’s founder, Dov Charney, was initially praised for his progressive approach, decent wages and ethical manufacturing.

However, disturbing details about his behavior soon begin to emerge which revealed a much darker reality behind the glossy image.

After her interview, Flannery gets the job. Though overqualified for retail work, she feels grateful and excited to be part of something big. She quickly grows close to her co-workers and becomes more involved in the company than expected. Besides helping customers, she also takes on hiring responsibilities and photographs employees for American Apparel’s famously provocative advertising campaigns. Her talent and dedication help her rise quickly through the company’s ranks.

Flannery’s work soon takes her beyond the sales floor. She travels to open new stores, recruit staff, and help expand the American Apparel brand across the country, including a now-closed location in Milwaukee’s Lower East Side. The fast-paced environment and sense of belonging make her feel alive.

However, the excitement fades as Flannery starts seeing the darker side of American Apparel. Much of the toxicity stems from Dov Charney himself, whose inappropriate and exploitative behavior becomes widely known. He gains a reputation for sleeping with female employees, referred to as “Dov’s Girls,” and openly engaging in sexual acts within the company’s stores. He even shocks the media by reportedly masturbating in front of a Jane magazine journalist during an interview.

At first, Flannery tries to dismiss his actions, thinking that the women involved are overreacting. During that era of “indie sleaze” and “do-me feminism,” his behavior is sometimes excused as rebellious or edgy.

But over time, she realizes the truth. Charney’s behavior and the company culture are not about empowerment or liberation; they are about control and exploitation. Flannery herself experiences harassment, including an attempted assault by a coworker, which becomes a turning point. She begins to see the company for what it truly is and decides to take back control of her life.

Flannery leaves American Apparel and begins to rebuild her life with a new sense of purpose. Through her experiences, she learns what really matters and finds her voice in the process.

Kate’s memoir, Strip Tees, stands as a sharp, emotional, and insightful story about ambition, exploitation, and self-discovery. It captures a unique time in fashion and pop culture and offers an honest look at the world of retail during the early 2000s.

Related Authors

Fans of Kate Flannery also enjoy these authors:

1. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
2. James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.
3. Jane Austen, author of: Pride and Prejudice.
4. Terry Pratchett, author of: Good Omens.
5. Agatha Christie, author of: And Then There Were None / Ten Little Indians.

Kate Flannery: F.A.Q