fair labour

Everlane—the chic, stripped-down, San Francisco-based clothing brand beloved by the tech and media sectors alike—sells nothing so much as an idea. The company says it’s dedicated to both sustainability and “radical transparency,” promising customers, “We reveal the true costs behind all of our products—from materials to labor to transportation.” But the company’s customer-service employees say that what’s not disclosed in that formula is the human cost to their team, a cadre of part-time remote workers who make up a key piece of the business—and who make around $16 an hour and don’t receive healthcare or other benefits.

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To give back to the communities she and her husband grew up in, Chugani set up the company’s headquarters in Taiwan, and created a workshop in India, where she employees 11 women with skills in beading, sequins, and embroidery to make embellishments for her designs.

Since they launched in 2010, the company and CEO Michael Presyman have always focused heavily on virtue in both the supply chain—touting their “ethical factories,” for instance, though watchdogs say they could do better—and in their materials, announcing a new line in 2018 partly made from recycled plastics. And transparency is an often-repeated buzzword; the company runs a popular “Choose What You Pay” sale each year, promising, “ We choose the products. You choose the price. We reveal where every penny goes.” If customers choose to pay a higher price, for instance, some of that money goes towards “overhead for our team,” the company says.

he Group is also supporting the development of a certification system that will verify environmental, social and animal welfare outcomes

While H&M has been very public about the source and content of its Conscious Exclusive fabrics, it’s less clear on who made the clothes and under what conditions. A recent report found evidence of abuse in the factories that make clothes for H&M and other major companies. An H&M spokesperson said the brand is working toward fair living wages in “certain strategic factories,” and are trying to tackle issues in all parts of the supply chain.

Representative of H&M Asia Sherry Gu said, “Some large scale international brands have recently begun to stop production that is not environmentally friendly and violates animal rights. However, this does not mean that cashmere products will come to a complete halt. We are ready to purchase cashmere at a high price from Mongolia if it is prepared in a sustainable way, such as being environmentally friendly, and taken from healthy livestock without child labor.

onsumer awareness of overgrazing, pasture degradation and welfare concerns are growing, and some are now questioning whether they should be buying cashmere products.

fair labour The production of many textiles involves exploitative labour practices. Producers do not earn a fair income. The commodity chain may involve child labour and forced labour. Workers are not granted appropriate breaks and holidays, safe working conditions, maternity leave, etc.