Fast Fashion Brands Accused of Greenwashing
A quick perspective
Many people have accused fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara of hiding the truth about their sustainable supply chains, calling it "greenwashing."
Luxury Brands Guilty of the Same
Surprisingly, this is also true for most European luxury clothing brands, who are not very honest about their supply chains.
The Truth About Luxury Fashion Manufacturing
The fact is that, from the fabrics to the decorations, most of the high-fashion clothes are made in Asian factories that are famous for their quality and skill. Brands like Saint Laurent, Dior, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton use these factories.
But because of some gaps in European Union laws, these luxury brands can do small things like adding a button or stitching an applique in Italy or France, and then say that their clothes are "Made in Italy" or "Made in France."
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They think that telling the truth that these clothes are made in China, India, or Vietnam would damage their image because Western luxury buyers don’t like their expensive items being made in poorer countries.
The Reality of Luxury Fashion Labor
This idea is based on the wrong assumption that only Italy and France have skilled workers who can make handmade items.
The truth is that only a few craftsmen make handmade items at a high price. Isabel Marant, the French designer who has her brand, said that most of the high-fashion clothes are now made in India.
This change is not only because of lower costs but also because India has the best skills for handcrafted work.
Luxury brands have hidden the truth by showing a public image of being ethical and supporting sustainability and new technologies.
But by not admitting their real supply chains, these famous brands have slowed down the improvement of the fashion industry's sustainability and labor conditions.