Shock and awe is what they do best—and they seem to have done it again. The latest addition to the American Apparel canon—the Afrika line—has some people up in arms. What a surprise.

The man, CEO Dov Charney, deserves some credit. V-neck tees sell themselves, but at $15 a pop? Fruit of the Loom will give you five for that price! Charney’s managed to bridge high and low fashion, transforming what was once considered simple cotton athletic wear into high style fit for any pop diva.

Sure, American Apparel’s clothing isn’t infinitely superior to, say, it’s parallels at Gap or Old Navy. It is, however, considered infinitely “hipper,” and this transformation is no act of magic. Charney is a brilliant salesman. His product is simple, unoffensive, and high on utility. What it lacks? Tangiable innovation.

But while the clothes are less than remarkable, the ideas Charney weaves into them are, at the very least, noteworthy. And so, with a wealth of progressive ideas and a penchant for controversy, Charney’s really got something to sell.

Initially setting themselves apart from the competition with boasts of “Made in America” and fair wages, American Apparel forged ahead in the world of “good causes,” establishing themselves as an environment and immigrant friendly, not to mention respectable philanthropists.

And as we all know too well, with the politically correct has come the outrageously controversial. Young girls, New York Jews, and public displays of, er, affection have all helped build a name for the company. Sex and scandal sell—plus AA still makes a great pair of leggings.

Having borrowed many a models innocence and many more laborers smiling faces, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that their latest collection, Afrika, has acquired as much attention for its title as its design. Is profiteering off immigrant rights and long legs really a far cry from a tone deaf appropriation of an entire continent?

While AA is appropriating culture, and you are appropriating style, don’t forget to check out border-crossing, genre-killing musician-cum-fashion designer MIA’s new collection! A bit pricier, sure, but she’s got got Mexico, Islam and Afrika! Looks like Dov’s got some brainstorming to do.