By Mari Sato
This summer, Italy’s Competition Authority investigated Dior and Armani Exchange concerning allegations that workers were enduring sweatshop conditions. According to the report, workers were forced to sleep at the factories to accommodate illegally long hours they were forced to work. The safety devices on manufacturing equipment were removed and tampered with to allow workers to produce goods as fast as possible. Furthermore, many of the workers were undocumented immigrants and did not have work contracts, preventing them from reporting the exploitation to authorities.
Although many designer brands assure the use of sustainable practices, there is little information to support these claims. Many buyers consider sustainability when purchasing designer items. A 2022 Deloitte survey found that 57% of consumers take sustainability into account when buying new luxury products. However, this perception of sustainability is primarily due to a lack of transparency. For this article, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Sara Idacavage, SMU’s newest Fashion Media professor and a sustainability fashion educator, to gather her insights on sustainability, potential solutions, and more.
Dr. Idacavage first acknowledged the dissonance between fast fashion and luxury fashion in terms of sustainability and worker conditions. It’s easy for fast fashion to get the majority of the attention for labor practices because the prices make it obvious that they are doing something unethical. However, Dr. Idacavage explained that luxury brands often get overlooked because they can rely on their reputation of tradition and high-quality work even if that’s not the reality. Luxury marketing is all about selling a fantasy, creating an illusion that purchasing a product will transform you into a different person. Dr. Idacavage points out that “whether you’re purchasing a t-shirt from Shein or Balenciaga, it was made with the same equipment, same human hands, same thread and needle, and those workers deserve a livable wage.” An essential part of addressing fair compensation is for consumers to look into the practices of the brands they support. Dr. Idacavage suggests consumers utilize resources such as Good On You and Fashion Revolution; both sources rate the transparency, worker conditions, and sustainability of brand practices. However, the responsibility should not entirely lie on the shoulders of consumers. Dr. Idacavage believes that the simple solution is paying people a living wage. While there may be concern about increasing clothing prices; Good On You has calculated that paying people a living wage would “only cost an extra 1% of the retail price.” In the luxury sector, the challenge goes beyond fair wages due to the pressures from shareholders. Every year major conglomerates such as LVMH, who own Dior, Armani, Fendi, Loewe, and many more high-end brands, expect to have a higher percentage of profits than the year before. The top executives of LVMH are some of the richest in the world but why should that be at the expense of the workers who make these goods?
Many luxury brands, in an attempt to meet shareholder expectations, have switched to outsourcing their labor to other countries with lower labor costs and lower regulations. Consumers see “Made in Italy” and automatically assume quality craftsmanship, however, the Dior and Armani factories investigated were Chinese-owned firms operating in Italy. Dr Idacavage revealed to me that “Made in Italy or Made in France is one of the greatest myths of the fashion world.” Many small components of luxury goods are made abroad and assembled locally concealing much of the exploitation that occurs. Ultimately the allure of prestigious labels masks the complex reality of global production emphasizing a greater need for transparency.
At the end of my conversation with Dr. Idacavage, I asked her what brands she looks to as sustainability leaders within the luxury market. Among her favorites is New York designer Mara Hoffman who “did the sustainable better quality materials, and worker compensation before it was cool.” Unfortunately, the designer is closing her company because in her eyes nothing has gotten better. Dr. Idacavage also highlights Stella McCartney, as a brand that has been very vocal about the treatment of animals and increasing recycling. While it’s commendable that brands are striving to decrease their production carbon footprint, sustainability is perhaps less about the production process and more about addressing consumption issues. This underscores a critical point that Dr. Idacavage made: “if you go to a brand’s website and there are new arrivals every week they can’t be sustainable.” True sustainability will require a societal shift, not just in how products are made but in how we consume them.
Ultimately, the most sustainable choice you can make is buying less. Borrow a dress from a friend for formal events instead of buying a new one every time, buy from brands that resonate with your values, and think about how much you really ‘need’ something new. Little changes in your consumption can make all the difference in shifting the industry towards more ethical and sustainable practices.
