Nancy Upton

Upon publicly lambasting 24-year-old college student Nancy Upton for mocking its online contest aimed at plus-size models and then, infuriatingly, winning it, the company has made an about-face and offered to fly Upton to its Los Angeles headquarters to tour its factories, meet its creative team and continue the dialogue about the perception of plus-sized women in the media.

American Apparel has responded to plus-size contest winner/protester Nancy Upton. The company's Creative Director Iris Alonzo sent Upton and a number of news outlets a long letter explaining the contest's motives and letting her know that she didn't actually win (something Upton says she wasn't really trying to do anyway, though she was voted into first place).