White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, an American documentary film about Abercrombie & Fitch’s massive success and controversies during the late 1990s to 2000s, dropped on Netflix on 19 April 2022.
The series uncovers the popularity and subsequent public disgrace of the clothing brand’s journey as it remarks Bruce Weber and his book Bear Pond to be the brains and inspiration behind the brand’s marketing campaign. White Hot also puts it clear that in 2017 the models of the famed retailer started to come forward with claims of sexual harassment and assault against the photographer.
As for the remaining story and more about the famous fashion photographer and filmmaker, read through the rest of this writing.
Has Bruce Weber Commented On Netflix’s White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch?
Bruce Weber had not commented on the docuseries as of the time of this writing.
As for the sexual assaults allegations, he denied all of them according to The New York Times. accusations. Bruce said in a statement that he has used common breathing exercises and professionally photographed thousands of nude models over his career, but never touched anyone inappropriately. He said these twisted and untrue allegations are truly disheartening given his life’s work.
Once the initial allegations came to light, Bruce appeared to step away from the limelight as he was dropped by Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Versace. The summer of 2018 is when he started to willingly show up in public.
In September 2021, Bruce settled both the lawsuits filed against him in out-of-court agreements. It, however, did not involve an admission of guilt.
Bruce Weber’s Net Worth
Bruce Weber, a New York University alum, reportedly had more than $20 million as his net worth as of April 2022.
As the documentary on Netflix states, Mike Jeffries, the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch chose to work with Bruce to create a new, unique brand identity. In the film, insiders explain how then Bruce’s photographs reflected Mike’s vision of the ideal Abercrombie customer. Bruce basically helped set the stage for Abercrombie & Fitch‘s aesthetic. Eventually, young, attractive people living a carefree Bruce’s-signature-black-and-white style of A&F clothes became the hallmark of the brand. So, as Bruce began shooting for the brand in the mid-1990s, success followed from there.
But then, it was his barely-there Calvin Klein ads that first rose him to fame. These ads, which featured models and celebs like Mark Wahlberg and Kate Moss, had taken the fashion industry by storm in the 1980s and 90s. Bruce at the time shot brand campaigns and other types of fashion photography.
In 1990, Bruce published his book Bear Pond. The book contains 100 of his photographs, including landscape shots and figure studies. A copy of it, to this date, can cost anywhere from $290 to $500; is considered a collectible on Amazon. While at the time of its release, it was a hit and drew attention to the AIDS crisis that was happening at the time as he claimed the book was published to benefit the AIDS Resource Center in New York.
More than 15 other books of Bruce’s work have been published so far. His photographs are in the permanent collections of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. And he has exhibited at venues including the 1987 Whitney Biennial in New York City; Musee de l’Elysee in Lausanne; Switzerland, Palazzo Fortuny in Venice, and others.
Who Is Bruce Weber’s Wife, Nan Bush?
Bruce Weber has been married to his wife Nan Bush for a good many years now. They met in the late 1960s.
Bruce’s homoerotic imagery and apparent intimate detachment from Nan, however, have always led most observers to conclude that their union was one strictly of business.
Apparently, Nan, his agent, and his studio manager were instrumental in launching Bruce’s career in the fashion world. Bruce photographed a reshoot for the department store Dillard and won catalog of the year. This turns out to be the starting of the life-long partnership of the couple.
Even today, as Bruce continues publishing books of his work, directing documentaries, and shooting magazine covers, including ICON magazine’s April 2022 issue, Nan remains by his side. They are accompanied in their life together by zero kids, six dogs, and two cats.
Is Bruce Weber Gay?
During White Hot, former Abercrombie model Ryan Daharsh speaks that everyone around knew that Bruce Weber liked young men.
Looking back, former model Jason Boyce was the first to accuse Bruce of sexual assault (in December 2017). In fact, Jason also sued Bruce as he claimed that he touched him inappropriately during a 2014 shoot. Then, a month later, 15 active and former models came forward and accused the photographer of sexual harassment. All of them claimed ‘unnecessary nudity and coercive sexual behavior’ during their respective professional shoots with Bruce.
A year later, another five male models sued him citing that he had sexually assaulted or exploited them.
These allegations may or may not be true. But Bruce has always been openly gay, at least this was the truth back during the peak of his career.
Bruce Weber Family
Growing up, Bruce would often spend Sunday afternoons doing art projects and making 8mm films in the backyard with his father, a businessman, and his sister Barbara.
In February 2021, on her birthday, Bruce lovingly recalled memories of now-deceased Barabara Dewitt in an Instagram post.
As for his mom, who is also no longer alive, she was a great tennis player and a big flirt with life, and no matter what she was always there with her shoulder for her kids to cry upon.
Bruce Weber Young
Bruce Weber was born and raised just outside Pittsburgh, in the farming and coal-mining town of Greensburg.
His love affair with the camera started early on in 1966. Later on, after a couple of years of studying art at Denison College in Ohio, he transferred to New York University to study Acting.
Related FAQs
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Who Inspired Bruce Weber?
Bruce Weber in his career seemed to have been inspired by people like Dennis Hopper, a great actor of his time; Donald Sterzin, one of his and Nan’s dearest friends; Bernardo Bertolucci, the director who helped him fall in love with Italian cinema.
Time and again, Bruce has taken to write about these people on his Instagram @bruce_weber. He says he is honored to have known and worked with these legends.
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Where Does Bruce Weber Live Today?
Today, Bruce Weber and his wife live and work in Miami, Florida, and New York.
