Source: The Business of Fashion
Summary
Polish retailer LPP has suspended new orders and product-development work in Bangladesh due to concerns over the country’s labour laws and working conditions. The move risks LPP being added to the EU’s blacklist of companies that violate social and environmental standards. Meanwhile, workers at a Myanmar factory have been protesting for higher wages for over a month.
Our Reading
The trend returns with a new name. LPP’s move is a familiar tale of fast fashion’s supply chain woes. The EU’s blacklist looms large, while Myanmar’s garment workers demand fair wages. The industry’s familiar dance between profit and ethics continues. Fast fashion’s favourite phrase – “we’re working on it” – echoes through the corridors of power.
Bangladesh’s labour laws, Myanmar’s protests, and the EU’s blacklist are all part of the industry’s cyclical narrative. One thing is for certain: the show will go on, with new players and the same old problems.
Fast Fashion’s Familiar Woes
LPP’s decision to suspend new orders and product-development work in Bangladesh is a classic case of the industry’s see-sawing between profit and ethics. The move comes as a response to concerns over the country’s labour laws and working conditions.
The EU’s Watchful Eye
The EU’s blacklist of companies that violate social and environmental standards is a powerful tool in the fight against fast fashion’s worst excesses. LPP risks being added to this list, a move that could have serious consequences for the company’s reputation and bottom line.
Myanmar’s Garment Workers Demand Fairness
Meanwhile, workers at a Myanmar factory have been protesting for higher wages for over a month. The industry’s familiar narrative of exploitation and neglect continues to play out in the country’s garment sector.
The Industry’s Cyclical Narrative
Fast fashion’s problems are nothing new, and the industry’s response is all too familiar. The show will go on, with new players and the same old problems. The question is, when will things change?
Author: Evan Null
