The luxury fashion industry, often associated with glamour, exclusivity, and exorbitant price tags, hides a much darker reality. Beneath the allure of Italian-made products lies a complex web of exploitation, where undocumented workers toil for long hours in substandard conditions. A recent protest in Geneva, where migrant laborers gathered outside a Montblanc store, brought global attention to the hidden abuses that plague the supply chains of some of the world's most prestigious brands.
The workers, who traveled from Tuscany, Italy’s famous leather-working region, held placards with the slogan "Made in Italy: Shame in Italy." Their target was Montblanc, a luxury accessory maker owned by the $76 billion conglomerate Richemont. These workers, alongside Italian and Swiss union officials, accused Montblanc of severing ties with its supplier, Z Production, after the factory attempted to improve working conditions and offer regular contracts.
“Montblanc ended the contract because we wanted to work eight hours a day, five days a week as legal workers,” explained Zain Ali, a 23-year-old Pakistani worker who had applied Montblanc logos to leather accessories at Z Production for over two years. “They just wanted slaves,” he added, reflecting the grim reality many face in this coveted industry.
Behind the Scenes of Luxury
The problems surrounding Z Production are not unique. Across Italy’s fashion industry, exploitation is rampant, particularly in Tuscany and near Milan. Investigations by Italian prosecutors this year uncovered sweatshop-like conditions at workshops manufacturing products for high-end brands like Dior, Giorgio Armani, and Alviero Martini. These revelations provide a glimpse into the hidden world of labor abuse that fuels the luxury fashion sector.
While Italian craftsmanship is renowned worldwide, the production processes are often outsourced to subcontractors and workshops, many of which employ undocumented migrants. Workers, often with no prior experience in leatherworking, are hired at low wages and subjected to grueling conditions. “It’s very common here in Tuscany. It’s the big brands that impose the prices on contractors,” said Alessandro Lessi, a former delivery worker at Z Production, describing the systemic pressures that push contractors to exploit cheap labor.
Migrants and Modern Slavery
The luxury fashion industry’s dependence on migrant labor cannot be overstated. Workers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and other countries make up a significant portion of the labor force in Italy’s leather and textile hubs. These migrants often arrive in Italy illegally, desperate for work, only to find themselves trapped in exploitative conditions.
Abbas, a 32-year-old Pakistani migrant, recounted his harrowing experience working in a Chinese-run workshop near Florence. For 14 hours a day, he stood on his feet, dyeing leather bags for luxury brands. “My legs hurt so much, I couldn’t sleep at night. I couldn’t go to the toilet anymore, or sit down,” Abbas said. Despite the physical toll, he earned a mere 600 to 700 euros a month, with additional cash payments for extra hours. His story mirrors the experiences of countless others who endure physical and mental strain to meet the demands of luxury brands.
The pressure to cut costs drives contractors to employ undocumented workers at rock-bottom wages, disregarding labor laws and human rights. “For my type of work, I had to stand up for 14 hours,” said Abbas, recalling how he and around 50 other migrants, including Pakistanis, Afghans, and Chinese, worked in near-inhumane conditions to meet the high production quotas set by luxury brands.
Another worker, Arslan, a 27-year-old Pakistani migrant, described working 12-hour days for six days a week after arriving in Italy in 2017. “You don’t even have time to do the shopping, you don’t have time to wash your clothes,” he lamented. Despite initially working without a contract, he eventually secured a legal agreement in 2022, thanks to union intervention. However, his story, like that of many others, underscores the vulnerability of undocumented workers in the luxury fashion supply chain.
Court Investigations Reveal Systemic Abuse
The extent of the exploitation has prompted legal action. A Milan court has placed Alviero Martini, Giorgio Armani Operations, and Manufactures Dior into judicial administration for failing to meet legal standards. The court's investigation revealed that subcontractors often operate as mere shells, outsourcing actual production to workshops where labor violations are rampant.
Prosecutors described these practices as part of a wider business model designed solely to maximize profits. “Such tested and deep-rooted illegality emerged that it can be seen as part of a wider business model exclusively directed at increasing profit,” the Milan prosecutors wrote in documents related to the Dior case. These illegal practices are not confined to one region; Italian prosecutors are investigating the supply chains of about a dozen more fashion brands across the country, indicating the pervasive nature of labor abuse in the industry.
The problem is exacerbated by the sheer size and complexity of luxury brand supply chains. As Carlo Capasa, chairman of Italy's National Fashion Chamber, explained, “An average brand has 7,000 suppliers. If each supplier has two sub-suppliers, it’s probably another 14,000. I want to see who can do 21,000 audits a year... It’s impossible.” This lack of oversight creates an environment ripe for exploitation, as brands focus more on maintaining profit margins than ensuring fair labor practices.
The High Cost of Low Wages
Luxury brands have long relied on the reputation of Italian craftsmanship to justify their high prices. However, the reality behind these products often paints a different picture. Workers in Italian workshops are paid a fraction of what the luxury items they produce are worth. Court documents revealed that a Dior contractor, Pelletteria Elisabetta Yang Srl, charged Dior just 53 euros per handbag, while the retail price for those bags reached as high as 2,600 euros. The enormous disparity between production costs and retail prices is symptomatic of an industry built on exploitation.
Luxury brands claim to be taking steps to address these issues. Dior’s parent company, LVMH, announced plans to strengthen supply chain audits, while Armani stated it already had control measures in place to prevent abuses. However, industry experts warn that these measures are not enough. “The remuneration costs for work cannot fall below certain levels,” said Antonio Franceschini, from Italian lobby group CNA Federmoda. Brands must be vigilant about the workshops they work with, especially when prices are suspiciously low, as this often signals worker exploitation.
The Way Forward
As investigations continue, some suppliers are shifting production to other regions in Italy, such as Veneto, Campania, and Apulia, where raids and inspections have yet to reach. While this may temporarily shield contractors from legal repercussions, it fails to address the root cause of the problem: the relentless drive for profits at the expense of human dignity.
Luxury brands, valued at billions of dollars, must do more to ensure that their products are made ethically. Consumers, too, have a role to play in demanding transparency and accountability from the brands they support. Behind every luxury item lies the labor of workers like Zain, Abbas, and Arslan, whose stories reveal the true cost of fashion’s allure.
As the global demand for luxury goods continues to rise, so too must the industry’s commitment to ethical practices. Anything less would perpetuate the cycle of exploitation that has come to define the darker side of Italian fashion.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
The workers, who traveled from Tuscany, Italy’s famous leather-working region, held placards with the slogan "Made in Italy: Shame in Italy." Their target was Montblanc, a luxury accessory maker owned by the $76 billion conglomerate Richemont. These workers, alongside Italian and Swiss union officials, accused Montblanc of severing ties with its supplier, Z Production, after the factory attempted to improve working conditions and offer regular contracts.
“Montblanc ended the contract because we wanted to work eight hours a day, five days a week as legal workers,” explained Zain Ali, a 23-year-old Pakistani worker who had applied Montblanc logos to leather accessories at Z Production for over two years. “They just wanted slaves,” he added, reflecting the grim reality many face in this coveted industry.
Behind the Scenes of Luxury
The problems surrounding Z Production are not unique. Across Italy’s fashion industry, exploitation is rampant, particularly in Tuscany and near Milan. Investigations by Italian prosecutors this year uncovered sweatshop-like conditions at workshops manufacturing products for high-end brands like Dior, Giorgio Armani, and Alviero Martini. These revelations provide a glimpse into the hidden world of labor abuse that fuels the luxury fashion sector.
While Italian craftsmanship is renowned worldwide, the production processes are often outsourced to subcontractors and workshops, many of which employ undocumented migrants. Workers, often with no prior experience in leatherworking, are hired at low wages and subjected to grueling conditions. “It’s very common here in Tuscany. It’s the big brands that impose the prices on contractors,” said Alessandro Lessi, a former delivery worker at Z Production, describing the systemic pressures that push contractors to exploit cheap labor.
Migrants and Modern Slavery
The luxury fashion industry’s dependence on migrant labor cannot be overstated. Workers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and other countries make up a significant portion of the labor force in Italy’s leather and textile hubs. These migrants often arrive in Italy illegally, desperate for work, only to find themselves trapped in exploitative conditions.
Abbas, a 32-year-old Pakistani migrant, recounted his harrowing experience working in a Chinese-run workshop near Florence. For 14 hours a day, he stood on his feet, dyeing leather bags for luxury brands. “My legs hurt so much, I couldn’t sleep at night. I couldn’t go to the toilet anymore, or sit down,” Abbas said. Despite the physical toll, he earned a mere 600 to 700 euros a month, with additional cash payments for extra hours. His story mirrors the experiences of countless others who endure physical and mental strain to meet the demands of luxury brands.
The pressure to cut costs drives contractors to employ undocumented workers at rock-bottom wages, disregarding labor laws and human rights. “For my type of work, I had to stand up for 14 hours,” said Abbas, recalling how he and around 50 other migrants, including Pakistanis, Afghans, and Chinese, worked in near-inhumane conditions to meet the high production quotas set by luxury brands.
Another worker, Arslan, a 27-year-old Pakistani migrant, described working 12-hour days for six days a week after arriving in Italy in 2017. “You don’t even have time to do the shopping, you don’t have time to wash your clothes,” he lamented. Despite initially working without a contract, he eventually secured a legal agreement in 2022, thanks to union intervention. However, his story, like that of many others, underscores the vulnerability of undocumented workers in the luxury fashion supply chain.
Court Investigations Reveal Systemic Abuse
The extent of the exploitation has prompted legal action. A Milan court has placed Alviero Martini, Giorgio Armani Operations, and Manufactures Dior into judicial administration for failing to meet legal standards. The court's investigation revealed that subcontractors often operate as mere shells, outsourcing actual production to workshops where labor violations are rampant.
Prosecutors described these practices as part of a wider business model designed solely to maximize profits. “Such tested and deep-rooted illegality emerged that it can be seen as part of a wider business model exclusively directed at increasing profit,” the Milan prosecutors wrote in documents related to the Dior case. These illegal practices are not confined to one region; Italian prosecutors are investigating the supply chains of about a dozen more fashion brands across the country, indicating the pervasive nature of labor abuse in the industry.
The problem is exacerbated by the sheer size and complexity of luxury brand supply chains. As Carlo Capasa, chairman of Italy's National Fashion Chamber, explained, “An average brand has 7,000 suppliers. If each supplier has two sub-suppliers, it’s probably another 14,000. I want to see who can do 21,000 audits a year... It’s impossible.” This lack of oversight creates an environment ripe for exploitation, as brands focus more on maintaining profit margins than ensuring fair labor practices.
The High Cost of Low Wages
Luxury brands have long relied on the reputation of Italian craftsmanship to justify their high prices. However, the reality behind these products often paints a different picture. Workers in Italian workshops are paid a fraction of what the luxury items they produce are worth. Court documents revealed that a Dior contractor, Pelletteria Elisabetta Yang Srl, charged Dior just 53 euros per handbag, while the retail price for those bags reached as high as 2,600 euros. The enormous disparity between production costs and retail prices is symptomatic of an industry built on exploitation.
Luxury brands claim to be taking steps to address these issues. Dior’s parent company, LVMH, announced plans to strengthen supply chain audits, while Armani stated it already had control measures in place to prevent abuses. However, industry experts warn that these measures are not enough. “The remuneration costs for work cannot fall below certain levels,” said Antonio Franceschini, from Italian lobby group CNA Federmoda. Brands must be vigilant about the workshops they work with, especially when prices are suspiciously low, as this often signals worker exploitation.
The Way Forward
As investigations continue, some suppliers are shifting production to other regions in Italy, such as Veneto, Campania, and Apulia, where raids and inspections have yet to reach. While this may temporarily shield contractors from legal repercussions, it fails to address the root cause of the problem: the relentless drive for profits at the expense of human dignity.
Luxury brands, valued at billions of dollars, must do more to ensure that their products are made ethically. Consumers, too, have a role to play in demanding transparency and accountability from the brands they support. Behind every luxury item lies the labor of workers like Zain, Abbas, and Arslan, whose stories reveal the true cost of fashion’s allure.
As the global demand for luxury goods continues to rise, so too must the industry’s commitment to ethical practices. Anything less would perpetuate the cycle of exploitation that has come to define the darker side of Italian fashion.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
