US EditionGucci, Prada, Versace face Italy probe over alleged Chinese labour exploitation
Milan prosecutors investigate 13 luxury brands for alleged exploitation of Chinese workers amid subcontracting abuses and poor labor conditions in Italy's fashion supply chain.
- On Dec 4, Milan prosecutor Paolo Storari issued documents drawing 13 luxury brands, including Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent Manifatture, into a probe with Carabinieri labour unit searches seeking governance and supply‑chain records.
- Prosecutors say the expansion stems from entrenched subcontracting chains, with Milan prosecutors citing near-ubiquitous subcontracting from first-tier to second-tier suppliers and requesting internal governance and audit functions to assess compliance.
- Investigators found luxury bags, wallets and subcontracting documents during searches of Chinese‑owned workshops in Italy, identifying between 3 and 19 workers per supplier, mostly Chinese with some Pakistani, and reported safety breaches and wage violations.
- Five fashion groups have been placed under court administration since 2024, while prosecutors say they may take further preventive measures if deficiencies persist among the 13 companies allowed to address issues after handing over documents.
- Advocates warned that exploitation is a structural phenomenon driven by brands' commercial pressures and low prices imposed on contractors, prompting Urso's legal certification proposal to protect Italy's fashion supply chain.
107 Articles
107 Articles
Gucci, Versace or Yves Saint Laurent are in the sight of a Milan prosecutor for having made bags, wallets and clothes in workshops exploiting "Chinese labour".
After Dior, Alviero Martini, Tods, Loro Piana and a subsidiary of Armani, temporarily placed under judicial administration for having put in place subcontracting systems flouting labour law, the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has asked thirteen other brands to provide documents on their supply chainsWhat are the real conditions for producing expensive clothing or accessories "made in Italy"? Since 2024, the Italian luxury sector has been upset…
The Korea Times
KHQ Right NowItaly sweatshop probe snares more luxury brands
MILAN — Italian prosecutors on Thursday named Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent as among 13 luxury brands suspected of using subcontractors who exploited migrant workers in Italy, as part of a growing investigation into sweatshop conditions. Milan prosecutor Paolo Storari issued requests for information about alleged abuses by the brands, although they are not yet under formal investigation. It is the biggest expansion to date of a pr…
Defenders of fashion workers have been denouncing abuses for decades.
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