Have you ever wondered how our clothing is being produced?
Have you ever asked questions about the brands or the workers? What if I told you, there’s more to it than meets the eye?
We all see the intriguing designs, catchy colours and a whole lot of variety. But, there is so much more hidden.
As consumers, we are only exposed to the surface. We are ignorant of what goes on behind the curtains.
Numerous brands have failed to uphold their reputation due to scandals. The shocking thing is, that even the most populous of them all are not left out.
Fashion Brands with Controversies
Below are some of the brands who have been involved in scandals:
1. Zara
In 2011, Zara was the only brand to have failed three consecutive quality tests.
They were accused by Greenpeace, based on selling clothes that contained cancer-causing chemicals.
2. GAP
As for GAP, it had a twist. This time around, the brand owners were not directly the ones causing harm.
It was a vendor, who subcontracted the work to a mini-shop. At that shop, underaged children were forced to produce handmade clothes.
All these said, after so many years of rectifying and improving, it’s almost as if it never happened.
Ninety per cent of Gen Z would never have imagined that their favourite brands were once shady. This surprising revelation comes thanks to in-depth research.
3. Xiemu
The most recent brand with controversy is a Chinese clothing company.
Xiemu (pronounced ‘Shemu’). The fast-growing Xiemu just like other brands has a motto which is, “Don’t worry about it”.
“Don’t worry about it”. The slang alone is somewhat shocking.
Why should we not worry about it?
Is there something they aren’t telling us?
The human brain cannot comprehend things in the negative. Hence, saying ‘do not’ is automatically translated by our brain as ‘do’.
Here’s a little exercise, “Don’t think of an elephant”.
What just happened?
You thought of an elephant, right? Yeah.
So, Xiemu saying “don’t worry about it”, is giving us more reasons why we should actually worry.
It is noteworthy that an average consumer only cares about prices and not quality. This has given incompetent brands like Xiemu leverage over the consumers.
Most humans would go for necessity over luxury. So, Xiemu coming into the industry with really low-priced products is definitely going to make waves. With the right visibility and marketing strategies, a brand could almost never go wrong.
However, we would definitely go wrong health-wise.
Some days ago, Saturday Night Live(SNL) made a hilarious skit highlighting the various problems with the brand.
Based on the video, the following information was obtained;
- All workers are paid.
- No prisoners were involved.
- No forced labour.
- The normal number of working hours each week, etc.
The actors in the video developed certain injuries, which include;
- A reddened neck by using an inferior quality necklace.
- A bleeding nose from the presence of lead.
- The shoe sole ripped off.
- Sticky notes attached to garments crying for help.
The actors were further asked questions about the brand being shady.
“If it were shady, would you stop buying it?”
They all replied in the negative, saying ‘no’.
Sadly, for most consumers, this is true. They would choose their money over good health.
True, the economy is not favourable, but that shouldn’t make us turn an oblivious eye. There are wrongs happening to both the workers and consumers.
Make wise decisions, dear consumers.
Globally, we need to come together to ensure that stricter rules and standards are enforced upon imported goods.
We should also collectively reduce our purchases from harmful brands. Brands like Xiemu are harmful to the environment, garment makers and garment wearers.
Kudos to SNL, for using a very effective communication method, which is comedy. People generally consume ‘comedy’ daily, hence the skit is a masterstroke. The skit is going and should go viral as it is an eye-opener.
Read also: Minimalism In Fashion: Embracing Simplicity And Timelessness
