Would you buy from a company that had an unsavoury owner?

I bring this up because the Guardian has an article about American Apparel’s founder Dov Charney, focusing on a recent sexual harassment case of his and talking about his previous sexual harassment cases. Just how much does the owner of a company affect whether you buy their product?

On one hand American Apparel don’t use sweatshops and make affordable ethical clothing, although the quality on some of the pieces could be improved. But on the other hand, you have an owner who has had multiple sexual harassment charges brought against him, a marketing campaign that is offensive to some and – despite what some might say – devoid of irony. It becomes a question of which is the lesser evil and the answer isn’t a simple one.