Staying true to its word! Abercrombie and Fitch follows through on promise to curb its overtly-sexual ads as brand debuts modest campaign featuring its first Indian model 

  • Neelam Gill, 20, wears minimalist styles and shows little skin in the shots
  • The beauty is reportedly dating former One Direction member Zayn Malik
  • Abercrombie executive Craig Brommers says the brand has eliminated sexualized imagery, as it first promised last spring
  • Some fans have praised the retailer for finally using a diverse model, but others are adverse to the company's new look and feel 

By Emily James For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:39 EST, 4 November 2015 | Updated: 13:30 EST, 4 November 2015

In April, Abercrombie and Fitch vowed to stop using shirtless models and hypersexualized imagery to sell its products, and the brand's new toned down campaign proves the company has stayed true to its promise.

Neelam Gill, 20, the retailer's first Indian model, is the face of the latest editorial, which debuted on Tuesday and features a minimalist look with noticeably fewer brand logos – and far less skin on show. 

'We announced a number of changes a few months ago, which were based on our customer’s feedback,' Craig Brommers, senior vice president of marketing at Abercrombie told WWD. 'One of those changes was the elimination of sexualized imagery. As we evolve the brand in terms of product and marketing, making the consumer aware of these changes is important.'

True to its word: Abercrombie and Fitch debuted its new campaign on Tuesday, which features the brand's first Indian model wearing pared-back styles and showing hardly any skin

True to its word: Abercrombie and Fitch debuted its new campaign on Tuesday, which features the brand's first Indian model wearing pared-back styles and showing hardly any skin

Not racy: Neelam Gill, 20, is seen wearing minimalist styles in the shots. In April, Abercrombie had promised to stop using shirtless models and other sexualized imagery in its ads

Not racy: Neelam Gill, 20, is seen wearing minimalist styles in the shots. In April, Abercrombie had promised to stop using shirtless models and other sexualized imagery in its ads

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From Burberry to Vogue to Fila, this British girl is landing campaigns and editorials left, right and center. And her latest gig is as the new face of Abercrombie & Fitch. You know the one. That incredibly loud shop that feels more like a nightclub where you can't actually see the clothes because it's so dark. That one.

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Craig said the campaign, which sees Neelam donning simple, classic pieces with a modern touch, is 'just one example of the brand’s new mind-set'.

In one shot, a covered-up Neelam, who is reportedly dating former One Direction band member Zayn Malik, 22, dons dark jeans and a matching denim jacket, and another photo sees her rocking distressed jeans with a collared shirt and cable-knit cream sweater.

'With the evolution of the brand, we wanted to try something new,' shares Craig, who added that in addition to changing the company's marketing strategy, there are also new designers at the helm of the men's and women's lines.

Abercrombie has also overhauled the look and feel of its website, with e-commerce shots featuring demure models showing little skin. 

In addition to its sexualized imagery and marketing ploys such as shirtless Hollister 'lifeguards' or Abercrombie 'models' standing outside its stores, the brand has been criticized for not featuring diverse models in any of its campaigns.

Toned down: The most skin Neelam shows is in this shot, which sees her wearing a sequin slip dress. The model previously worked on the floor at Hollister for two years before getting noticed by head honchos

Toned down: The most skin Neelam shows is in this shot, which sees her wearing a sequin slip dress. The model previously worked on the floor at Hollister for two years before getting noticed by head honchos

Before: For years, the retailer used naked models in its campaigns and catalogs, until fans became fed up. The above image comes from a lookbook in the late 1990s

Before: For years, the retailer used naked models in its campaigns and catalogs, until fans became fed up. The above image comes from a lookbook in the late 1990s

Wet and wild: Abercrombie had once benefited from using naked models in its campaigns and lookbooks, but the strategy began falling flat over the past several seasons

Wet and wild: Abercrombie had once benefited from using naked models in its campaigns and lookbooks, but the strategy began falling flat over the past several seasons

Craig hopes to change that by enlisting fresh new faces like Neelam, who worked on the floor at Hollister for two years before getting noticed by head honchos. 

'Although we are still on a journey of change, we feel that we have made developments in our brand creative, and this shoot starring Neelam Gill has been a step forward for us,' said Craig.

In an Instagram post, the young model said she's thrilled to be the new face of the brand, writing: 'This is a huge achievement for me, not only because I'm the first Indian to model for the brand, but also because I worked on the shop floor in Hollister for 2 YEARS whilst I was studying. 

'I'd go into work and I never imagined the models displayed on the wall could be me one day. Dreams do come true.' 

Model on the rise: Neelam has appeared in spreads for Glamour UK and Urban Outfitters. Above, she poses for a selfie on the set of a Glamour UK shoot

Model on the rise: Neelam has appeared in spreads for Glamour UK and Urban Outfitters. Above, she poses for a selfie on the set of a Glamour UK shoot

R-rated: After receiving tons of flack from its consumers, Abercrombie stopped using naked models, and is now trying to reinvent itself

R-rated: After receiving tons of flack from its consumers, Abercrombie stopped using naked models, and is now trying to reinvent itself

New: The retailer says it is returning to its roots of simple, classic design. Above, a model wears a denim shirtdress on the company's updated website

New: The retailer says it is returning to its roots of simple, classic design. Above, a model wears a denim shirtdress on the company's updated website

Updated: Some fans have applauded Abercrombie for using its first Indian model, while other say they miss the company's old look and clothing

Updated: Some fans have applauded Abercrombie for using its first Indian model, while other say they miss the company's old look and clothing

Laid back: A model dons a simple long-sleeve dress and flats in a new look on the retailer's website 

Laid back: A model dons a simple long-sleeve dress and flats in a new look on the retailer's website 

In recent years, teens have started spending their money at other fashion retailers such as H&M and Forever 21, leaving Abercrombie with the declining sales and forcing it to close roughly 300 stores.

The brand had once benefited from using naked models in its campaigns and lookbooks, but the strategy began falling flat over the past several seasons.

In December, Abercrombie's CEO Mike Jeffries stepped down, and in the spring, the retailer began to make a number of other changes, such as no longer referring to its employees as 'models', and vowing to hire based on merit rather than 'based on body type or physical attractiveness'.

Prior to these changes, Mr Jeffries had been criticized for saying he only wanted thin, attractive people wearing the brand's clothes, which don't include womenswear above large or pants above a size 10.

Abercrombie had also been under fire for alleged racism, with an anonymous employee revealing that all the store's black employees were sent home before Mr Jeffries would visit the store.  

Casual: Abercrombie is now using fewer brand logos on its clothing after complaints from consumers

Casual: Abercrombie is now using fewer brand logos on its clothing after complaints from consumers

Sporty: The company has stayed true to its word, showing models wearing demure styles on its site. It has also ceased referring to its store employees as 'models', and is now hiring based on merit rather than looks

Sporty: The company has stayed true to its word, showing models wearing demure styles on its site. It has also ceased referring to its store employees as 'models', and is now hiring based on merit rather than looks

In the past decade, Abercrombie and Fitch has faced numerous discrimination lawsuits, with one settlement costing the company $40 million in 2006.

Abercrombie has shared three shots of Neelam in the new collection on its Instagram account, which have been met with mixed reviews from fans.

One person praised the retailer for using a diverse model, writing: 'Finally an Indian model! Beginning to feel more and more proud of my heritage! You go girl!' 

'This is a huge step in the right direction... Thank you for embracing international beauty,' shared another user.

However, some people were adverse to the brand's changes, with one person saying: 'WTF Abercrombie? Just no.'

Another person slammed the company's new designs, writing: 'I miss the old A&F so so much the new styles look so bad.'

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