So much in the news about luxury fashion brands producing items in the sweatshops; what are your thoughts on this topic? I am here to share mine.
We want to believe as buyers from luxury fashion brands that products are made in the back of boutique stores by a group of very talented artisans. But we know it’s not the case; we know that the majority of goods are mass produced from treated leather that’s not necessarily the best quality and that very few products are handmade in this day and age. We have also known since the late 90’s early 2000s, when articles were be published here and there about the state of workers in manufacturing facilities, that sweatshops for designer goods do exist. But we sort of turned a blind eye. It’s a tough life and if we can get a little bit of joy out of buying ‘investment’ and ‘luxury’ pieces, why not.
I’m sure you are aware of the latest events in the luxury world. Recently, news broke out that Dior and Armani have been producing some of their items in sweatshops in Italy, where undocumented immigrants have been hired and paid much less than minimum wage to work in unhygienic and unsafe environments around the clock 24/7 and sleep on cardboards on the floor whenever they can. While this is all alleged, as I am not a journalist myself who has visited these sweatshops and confirmed where the items were being made and under what conditions, however many trustworthy journals and magazines have published and confirmed this to be true, (just not me).
This blog post is all about the recent news on luxury fashion brands producing items in sweatshops and getting caught by Italian authorities after a police raid.
#1 MY THOUGHTS
But I can’t help but react to the news. I own nothing from the brands caught in this scandal, Dior and Armani. Both don’t speak to be on a personal level and that’s in my advantage (for the moment). But no one is really off the hook, this story might get bigger, more brands can get added to this list – who knows. I heard that those sweatshops came to the authorities’ attention based on their electricity bills, because they were running 24/7. How sad, that human abuse is necessary for those luxury brands to make a bigger profit margin. Greed cannot be stopped.
FIRST REACTION
I felt a bit stupid when the news broke. As someone who adores a higher quality and more expensive version of things, I thought… We buy from luxury houses to stay away from fast fashion for this exact reason. Many years ago, I stopped buying from Zara after watching the many documentaries about factories where these items are made, human rights abuses, and the environmental consequences of mass production. Zara was also producing very low-quality items, and was no longer appealing to be honest.
Yet, this could be how Dior tote bags are made? The problems here though are that, this is not disclosed to customers, these items sell for a ridiculous amount and people save up to buy them. So, if I had a closet full of Dior things, I’d be very pissed right now.
SECOND THOUGHT
If you follow any bloggers or youtubers, this topic has been heavily discussed and the comments section has been fire to say the least. People going out of their way to defend those brands saying it’s not true, or other brands do it as well. It is very possible that they have a closet full of Armanis and Dior bags and fear that those items might lose their value. But the fact that they are consciously making an effort to argue and look the other way is really disappointing to me. Like you’re ok that kids are working 24/7 to make this bag that is marked up by an insane amount?
#2 THE CONSEQUENCES
What do you think the consequences of this will be? Are people going to stop purchasing from these luxury fashion houses? Are the prices going to drop? Are policies going to change in the EU, and maybe around the world?
POLICY CHANGE
I heard that there are policies that are being discussed in Europe about more transparently reporting where these items are made, and where the fabrics and raw materials are from. If you live in Europe and are aware of these policies in the works, please comment below – I’d love to hear about them. The issue is that many companies start production in one country and complete in another, where they use the ‘made in’ stamp on their products. They’re not stupid, they know what they’re doing.
BUYER BEHAVIOR
It is possible that people start selling their items online, creating an influx of second-hand items on the market and in turn reduce the sale of brand-new items from the store. Lots of things are changing around the world thanks to Gen Zs, this might be one of them, they are very good at exposing truths and seeing change happen.
I personally think Dior has been very much in their comfort zone and recreating the same items in different colors and patterns for a long time. I haven’t seen a new bag come out in a while. I just don’t think they would survive the next 50 years on the market with this strategy, but that’s just my opinion.
The hope is that when consumer behavior changes, the luxury fashion brands and their backing companies address those issues. But it is very hard to expect this to happen all by itself. Those companies are profit driven; they will always look for cost cutting strategies.
#3 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE
I think the best bet is on companies who aren’t as big as those famous fashion houses. Sure, Hermes is untouched by all this scandal and they probably really have the best quality out there. But not everyone has the ‘Hermes budget’. The new and upcoming brands, the mid-range brands, and the brands that still operate on their own with no backing company, like The Row for instance. The Row hasn’t even been around for 20 years and they are still a family-owned business. Those are the brands that are able to be fully immersed in every aspect of their design, production and sale. They don’t have companies within companies making it difficult to figure out who the culprit is, they don’t hire third party factories to produce their items and then say they weren’t aware of the abuses taking place, and finally they don’t mass produce, enough said. That seems to the be the culprit, once a company is at the level of mass production, they will find any way to cut costs.
Make sure you are paying for the quality over trend and influencing. This is so hard. We live in a world where we are bombarded by ads and influencers showcasing these items. Try to take your time and think about the items before you purchase them. Do you need it? Is it filling a gap in your closet? Will you get your money’s worth from wearing this item?
#4 PERSONAL TAKE AWAY
My personal take away is to reduce consumption and to really try and utilize the second-hand market as much as possible. Goods aren’t made with the same quality and attention to craftsmanship as they used to be. With the exception of some luxury fashion brands. This is a big wake up call to all of us to reconsider our purchases, at a time when recession is at our door. Consumers always have the upper hand. We can change practices by choosing where to spend our money. That sustainability in fashion does not exist, it is a lie. Some companies may engage in more sustainable practices than others, but producing new garments is by no means a sustainable effort. I will remind myself about these things more when making purchases.
This blog post is all about the recent news on luxury fashion brands producing items in sweatshops and getting caught by Italian authorities after a police raid.
PS: Not a fashion journalist with first-hand knowledge of these matters. Just giving my opinion of alleged events that were reported recently.
As always, thank you for stopping by and reading. If this type of content interests you, please follow my IG account @girlontheues
See you next week,
Girl on the Upper East Side
Xx
If this interested you, you might want to read my piece on The Row, Phoebe Philo, and Toteme.
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