Bona-Fide Luxury of India

I have always been in awe of Luxury Fashion Brands. Their legacy, the vast market that they've acquired from the date of their establishment, their designs, the finishing that distinguishes them from others. For the longest time, I believed that all these brands have their entire supply chain in the country of origin, including the manufacturing unit. Little did I know, that this set-up is not always feasible for the brands due to various factors which is why most brands have their manufacturing and production unit in countries where the expense is the least.

India is one of the world’s largest garment exporters, with a textiles market worth $150 to $250 billion, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation, a trust established by the Indian government’s commerce ministry. The low labor costs in India, made it the most favored destination for these huge brands, however without being vocal about it. For years these mega-brands have been silently using Indian Embroiderers for their goods without offering even close to decent employment protection. I was in a state of shock when I read an article about it, the truth of the situation it appalled me. These are the same brands that inspired me to enter the world of luxury fashion, the brands that I looked up to.

One of the renowned new paper articles recently published the dark sides of these big names, the inhumane conditions in which the artisans are forced to work, hunched in an attic with dozens of them working for hours, in caged window rooms without any health benefits, no emergency exit, and some even sleeping on the floors when night fell.

The Rana Factory Collapse in 2013 was the first incident that brought to light how "Fast Fashion" brands made their goods, taking the people by shock and disgust. They need to keep their costs to a minimum is what their answer is for making these people work in such conditions because they mass produce every item for the hundreds of stores they have all around the world. What reason would these huge luxury brands give for exploiting our artisans when they make billions of dollars, showering money in the limelight in the name of "Charities" and "Corporate Social Responsibility", fooling everyone.

Mumbai is the hub for these manufacturing units. Scores of ateliers and export houses in Mumbai act as middlemen between brands and highly skilled but poorly paid artisans, while also providing services like design, sampling, and garment production. One of the many examples of Indian Embroidery is the famous Versace Jungle print dress worn by Jennifer Lopez in 2019 which was embroidered by Indian artisans. Anyone familiar with the world of fashion knows what this means.

The working procedure is extremely simple, whoever gives the cheapest quotation gets the work. The contractors know that if they increase their price, they will lose the offer, which is made crystal clear by these brands. Few employees tried to raise their voice against the mistreatment by going to the Workers' Union which not only resulted in losing their jobs but were also not hired by any other company. Now how would these people get out of this situation, where they know that there is no assurance of another job for them. They are made aware of the fact that they can easily be replaced, which unfortunately is the truth.

To protect these artisans, a group of luxury houses introduced the "Utthan Pact" an ambitious and secretive compliance project aimed at ensuring factory safety in Mumbai and elevating Indian embroiderers. Among the signatories were Kering (owner of labels including Gucci and Saint Laurent); LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (owner of Fendi and Christian Dior); and two British fashion houses, Burberry and Mulberry. The pact had an initial three-year timeline but was not legally binding.

Yet, when visits were made to factories in Mumbai it was found that many workers were still forced to complete orders at unregulated facilities that did not meet the Indian Factory safety laws. Several factory owners said that membership in the pact meant investing in the costly compliance standards outlined by the Utthan pact, while brands simultaneously reduced what they would pay for orders.

As stated in TNYT, “Given the product prices, there is a sense that the luxury brands must be doing it right, and that makes them immune to public scrutiny,” said Michael Posner, a professor of ethics and finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University. “But despite the price tags for luxury brand goods, the conditions in factories across their supply chains can be just as bad as those found in factories producing for fast fashion retailers.”

What baffles me is the indifference of these brands for the health of the people working for them, and the contractors treating them as slaves without providing them a hygienic and secure space to work in. Karigars migrate to Mumbai from all over the country in search of a job that would help them earn enough to keep their families secure but on the contrary, they end up earning just enough to make their families and themselves survive. They are barely earning the minimum wage for 8-10 hours of a long shift, and their works are sold for thousands of rupees, sometimes even lacs.

The country that was known for its embroideries and textile work is now losing its gems. Many age-old embroideries and handicraft works are extinguishing in parts of the country because of lack of income, descendants of families who have been Karigars from generations are now forced to choose other options for living which is heartbreaking.

I’ve always wondered, who were the people that made clothes of our rulers back in the time. We all know about France and Italy, but what about India. After researching all my questions, I finally got my answer, our legacy makers were none other than our Karigars of today. The Royals of various countries were wearing big names, and the only question that I had was what about India? This led me to understand the world of Embroidery in our Country, which eventually brought me to the unimaginable scale of exploitation that they go through each day.

There is so much more to this than one could imagine; After reading many articles on the exploitation of our Karigars and Artisan, I was in utter dismay. However, I could see a tiny light of hope which many organizations and brands have brought for them. Brands in India have become aware of their hardships and have taken initiatives to bring the change. They are bringing their baseline workforce into the limelight, sharing their stories with their consumers with #whomademyclothes tag. Organizations are working hard to provide a safe and secure working environment for the workers. Slowly but steadily the change is coming, however, this situation needs to be taken care of soon before we jewels are lost amid the storm.

We all know of someone or read somewhere about the exploitation that these workers face, feel free to share your opinions in the comment section or on my Instagram page @theuralway or my Facebook page @theuralway.

Until next time,

Lots of love and care!

Stay strong!