Shopping at Urban Outfitters is designed to feel like an exercise in being a young, urban hipster; you know, the kind who’s into rooftop gardening, skinny jeans, vinyl and cheeky books about marijuana. But the dude who owns the company? Well, he’s pretty much the opposite of that.
Meet Richard Hayne, the 63-year-old founder and chairman of Urban Outfitters, whose net worth Forbes reports at $1.4 billion, putting him at #262 on the list of the 400 Richest People in America.
Hayne started a company called The Free People (yep, that one) in 1970 as a young hippie, selling clothes to kids outside of the University of Pennsylvania. Today, Hayne’s property includes Free People, Anthropologie and UO, and Terrain, a new gardening company.
Liberal activists have long called for a boycott of UO, due to Hayne’s conservative political beliefs, and the fact that he puts his money where his mouth is. He and his wife Margaret have contributed $13,150 to Republican Sen. Rick Santorum (a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage) and his Political Action Committee over the years. He also donated $10,000 to Meg Whitman’s campaign for governor.
Urban came under fire in 2008 when it suddenly pulled the above shirt, which expresses support for same-sex marriage, from stores. The company claims the shirt was pulled due to slumping sales, but others alleged political sympathies stemming from Hayne. Glen Senk, the current CEO of UO, is an openly gay man.
There’s been controversy associated with UO in recent years; Miley Cyrus even ranted against the brand for allegedly stealing an Etsy artist’s jewelry design. And it’s no doubt ironic that all of the (mostly) liberal, indie-minded hipsters swarming Urban Outfitters at all hours are perhaps unknowingly padding the pockets of Hayne and his conservative beneficiaries.
Would you stop shopping at a store because you disagreed with the CEO’s political beliefs? Does that affect how you feel about Urban Outfitters?
daffodil / 1579 posts
I’m still going to shop there.
guest
the irony of capitalism: a rich conservative making millions off of liberal teenagers who want to look as poor as possible while still being cool.
guest
I’m hoping it wasn’t intended to be racism (Saying that the rich, conservative, and white are somehow interlinked?) but yeah.. it irks me, when people throw race into it when it’s not needed.
Honestly.
I would still shop there (if I did) just because his clothes are clothes, you know?
I believe everyone should have the right to their own opinions and I respect that, whether I disagree with someone’s views or not.. and I’m definetly not petty enough to make it personal.
(As if not buying that t-shirt is really going to cripple his business, anyways..)
guest
I like looking at their clothes online but they’re mostly too rich for my blood so more power to him. I can find the same thing in SoHo or at H&M.
daisy / 603 posts
His beliefs and personal life and none of mine or any other consumer’s business, however, I don’t shop there because of how ridiculously priced it is…. and the man is one of the most 400 richest people in America? Well then, maybe he can obviously afford to make things a little cheaper.. Although from a business standpoint I understand, if people are willing to pay the high prices, there isn’t any incentive to reduce them.
guest
Sure “I won’t be shopping there” but that’s because I’m not willing to pay that much money for clothes, holy shit is it expensive and over priced.
This guy might be an ass, but girls who have enough money floating around are going to continue to waste it on his store because they can. Also, hipsters stop for nobody.
sunflower / 453 posts
okay, although like many companies they do end up stealing designs accidentally or on purpose, any read up on that particular issue that Miley tweeted about really falls in their favor. It is not a very original design and has been created by dozens of people- including companies and people who produced the design before the etsy creator was even on etsy. So even if they did steal it from her, the etsier- which seems unlikely- she can be accused of doing the exact same thing.
Yeah, he seems like a douchbag and since I can spend my money where I like, I won’t be spending it there, but I agree with @Cosmar@xanga – what did whiteness, or richness even, have to do with this? We wouldn’t be upset if he was a white guy supporting gay marriage. We wouldn’t be upset if he was a rich guy using his money for gay marriage. If you’re going to call someone out for using white privilege, at least explain where that’s coming from.
guest
I don’t shop there to begin with. I would never buy anything anywhere if I had to agree the CEO/Owner/Management. Someone will always have an opinion contrary to mine. I do like Anthropologie, but the closest one is too far away for me to consider shopping there on a regular basis.
guest
their hipster style doesn’t really appeal to me. if I’m going to splurge my money, I prefer the cuter girly style of bebe.com
guest
I don’t shop at any of his stores but I wouldn’t care. If something fits me well, I am buying it. I wouldn’t want someone not buying my products just because of how I felt about things.My opinions and the things I am offering sales wise are two different things.
cherry blossom / 44 posts
God why are you judging someone based on their race and wealth? He worked his ass off starting a new company and did well. He happens to be born with light skin.
Why should he be looked down upon or boycotted for simply being successful?
M
guest
I’m still going to shop there. I like the clothes.
guest
If you’ve ever taken a sociology, political science, geography, social work, anthropology class, you will quickly learn about white privilege and how very much is rich, conservative and elite linked with being white and male. It’s not that people are being racist, but it is actually generally how it is. I could explain a lot of history and economics involved with this. The statement doesn’t mean to say that all white people are rich and conservative. But much of the people in power or the richest people who are influential in the world, especially in north america are white and male.
Anyway, UO, like many other corporations do shoddy things. Yet in comparison to other companies that have evils that go far less published, it does not even compare. If you stop at UO, than stop at walmart, kmart, h&m, zara or any other corporatized clothing store. Because, ultimately, they work under the same economic model that may lack moral/ethics (whether supporting same sex marriage, or using sweatshopped clothing).
I shop at UO, i enjoy the designs, i don’t mind where the CEO’s values are.
yep
orchid / 173 posts
Yeah, I don’t think the author of the post did anything wrong by stating he was white and tying it to the fact that he is rich and conservative. I could not have said it better than the commenter above me. Why does she need to get into it and explain the depths of white privelege when this article is supposed to talk about the CEO of UO?
If you’ve taken a single sociology or anthropology class, you would know that rich, white, conservative, MALES hold most of the power in our society. That’s just a fact.
lily / 5148 posts
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - That is funny.
orchid / 205 posts
UO is a wasteland of overpriced clothes that fall apart way too fast- but the fact that hipsters are supporting a conservative agenda with their parent’s dollars by buying shirts with liberalish messages on them should really make them proud- they are the kings of irony after all.
sigh. I have hated UO ever since their line of clothes called “Urban Renewal”, which, while perhaps clever wordplay, refers to some ugly history for cities in the US
guest
@ScarletMoth@xanga -
I think you complete misunderstood me, mate… or were you just elaborating on my comment?
Because niether me nor the OP said anything about white privilege
I simply found it offensive that white was slapped up there along side “Rich” and “Conservative” & was wondering why that was, since it was completely pointless and I thought perhaps the OP was being stereotypical.. lol
So yeah, double u tee eff? xD
sunflower / 453 posts
@Cosmar@xanga - I was agreeing with this- “it irks me, when people throw race into it when it’s not needed.”
And I know the blogger didn’t actually say “white privilege,” but that’s normally the underlying issue people have with others they identify as a combination of “rich, conservative, white, men.” (that their success is partially due to their color, especially in conservative circles, which favor white leaders)
guest
i’ve never shopped there, so the fact that he’s a tremendous ass has no effect on my shopping habits. but if i did shop there, i would probably stop. i don’t have to agree with every ceo/manager of places i patron, but i can draw the line somewhere.
guest
I was iffy about them selling “coolness” already… but yeah, this’ll probably cement my inclination not to shop there.
guest
Hey, maybe now that those guys have had it pointed out to them that capitalism brought them the clothes and quirky items that they love, they’ll realize that it’s a good thing.
I might or might not be affected by the CEO’s personal political beliefs. It depends on how strongly I feel about the issue we’re disagreeing on. And their personal beliefs won’t sway me to their side if the product is shoddy, which I feel that UO is.
I have no problem with people making plenty of money honestly, and doing with it as they please.
guest
This was my favorite store, but since hearing that the money that guy off it makes goes to anti-gay campaigns, my conscience won’t let me shop there anymore. It’s not that I think my absence from UO will hurt him at all, but I don’t want to contribute. I’m all for same sex marriage, and I practice what I preach.
guest
Why does it matter that he is white?
guest
@honeydew_panda@xanga - Yea, I agree with you on your points. There is a lot more evil to worry about. Everyone is jumping on the same sex band wagon (and I want to say this carefully) because it is trendy. A lot of stores don’t give a damn about your beliefs but because they know how politically correct people are trying to be they sell shirts (like Old Navy’s Gay Pride shirt) and other things just to get you to shop at their store.
If you really care about an issue, you should be against companies using them for gain too, not just companies against them.
Make your own home made gay pride clothing.
guest
Probably because conservatives are just better at running businesses?
guest
The dude is smart, he may not agree with the slogans he’s printing on shirts, but he knows someone does and he’s aiming it towards them. I don’t shop at Urban Outfitters because I don’t have one near me, but after checking out their online store I have to say I will never shop there because the clothes are so ugly.
peony / 1 posts
I’ve never bought anything there because I find their clothes to be cheaply constructed, ill-fitting and very overpriced. Once I learned that the owner gave a lot of financial support to Prop 8 I began to avoid it altogether.
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peony / 1 posts
@HeLLo_Bianca@xanga - why?
peony / 1 posts
Should he apologize for being white? how about apologizing for working hard, being creative and innovative and thus becoming wealthy…should he apologize for that too? The only thing wrong with being wealthy is if you don’t give back! Incidentally, guys, conservatives give a lot more money to every needy cause than liberals do. Should he apologize for being conservative? IT’S CALLED FREE SPEECH, PEOPLE!!!! How many different things do you buy…how many different stores do you shop in? Are you actually going to check every owner/CEO of every single place or person you patronize to check if their political views match up with yours? HOW RIDICULOUS. I love people and am compassionate and kind to all but I happen not to believe in same sex marriage AND I BUY MY COFFEE AT STARBUCKS (the owner and I have different views)! Now, if Adolf Hitler opened a hip and cool store where I loved the clothes? He murders…..I’m against murder….that’s where I would draw the line.