The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association has called on Bangladesh to end a crackdown on labourers, following protests over changes to the country’s minimum wage for garment workers last fall.
More than 100 garment workers and labour advocates were jailed between October and November amid violent demonstrations, according to labour groups. Thousands more have been threatened with detention, according to AAFA.
In an open letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the US trade group called for protestors still held in detention to be released and for the government to investigate violence that led to the deaths of workers during the demonstrations.
Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest apparel producers and a increasingly significant supplier to the US market.
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A ‘Climate of Fear’ in Fashion’s Supply Chains
The killing of a union leader in Bangladesh this summer has heightened anxiety over the risks facing labour organisers amid a broader, often violent, crackdown on labour rights.
More than a year after the ultra-fast-fashion company said it would tackle issues of unlawful overtime, 75-hour weeks remain common in its supply chain, Swiss watchdog Public Eye found.
A study published this week found traces of cotton from Xinjiang in nearly a fifth of the products it examined, highlighting the challenges brands face in policing their supply chains even as requirements to do so spread to raw materials from diamonds to leather and palm oil.
Overconsumption and fast fashion have become easy targets for brands flexing their climate-friendly attributes. Consumers may agree with the message — but take issue with a self-righteous tone.
Traces of cotton from Xinjiang were found in nearly a fifth of samples from American and global retailers, highlighting the challenges of complying with a US law aimed at blocking imports that could be linked to forced labour in China.