Alexa Chung Wants You To Sweat

Apr 15, 2008 @ 11:40am

Television star Alexa Chung has an interesting project in the works.

It seems that Alexa's feeling major guilt over some Primark purchases and wants to do like a True Life: I Slave for 15p an Hour for Channel 4 in the UK.

Alexa says that she loves "affordable fashion but I'm questioning the real price of £2 T-shirts and £8 dresses...I wanted to experience the reality of conditions in some of the Asian factories that supply our retailers - and it's an eye-opener."

So she's setting up a sweatshop in London's Covent Garden, and making a group of fast-fashion lovers work sixty hours over five days to give them just a little taste of what it must be like to live and work in Houjie.

And of course, to make every Zara shopper on the planet feel like a criminal.

Obviously there are some big differences between working in a sweatshop for reality TV versus working in a sweatshop to support a family, but hey, it's a step, no?

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 11:46AM

NO!

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 12:07PM

uh... let's not forget that most of your mid priced designer stuff is made overseas too (and some of the super expensive stuff too). i know about every marc by marc label says made in china and while the fabrics may be better you can bet they are still made in sweatshops.

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 12:29PM

I want Alexa to air this here in the USA!

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 12:47PM

As someone who's worked in the industry, I agree with Guest 12:07...the same factories who manufacture for Bebe could also manufacture for the lower-priced lines from designer labels.

It all depends on the contract the factory has, and smaller factories will agree to run smaller orders for these types of labels (1,000-4,000 pieces, as compared to the millions of pieces made for Target or Wal-mart.) Most of the contemporary labels that appeal to the readers of this site manufacture at least part of their line in China, especially the styles are silks, or include labor-intensive details (braiding, or other hand-work). Cottons, embroideries, laces and sequin/beading work tend to be from India, although that too is changing, and similiar work is appearing in China as well. A designer name doesn't mean anything; the proof is on the country of origin label.

It is interesting to note, if you actually read the Zara label, you will find a lot of things are made in Spain, Portugal and Romania. Although most likely not the best places to work, I have a feeling they are somewhat better than Asian factories since the EU has stricter rules about how labor can be treated.

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 1:13PM

I work at Zara and had to learn all about their Spain clothing factory. It is actually very beautiful, clean bright and surrounded by mountains.

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 1:16PM

lets not forget that these factories give jobs to people who may not have had a job otherwise... and their pay is low yes... but Im sure they arent buying fish and chips for lunch for 8p.

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 2:19PM

Exactly! Of course nobody should be subjected to horrible working conditions...but people always fail to mention that while the workers are paid low wages, the cost of living in those countries is comparable to those wages. In other words...they're living decent lives on that pay!

posted by poseur

Apr 15, 2008 3:51PM

guest 1:16's comment is the problem though behind all this. You can't make someone work in bad conditions, pay less than they should based on the fact that "oh but we're providing you a job!" most of these people also don't get paid overtime, don't have health insurance or anything, they don't even pay them what they deserve.

The reason why these people stand these conditions is the fact that they need money to support themselves, but this doesn't justify anyone to take advantage of them and treat them terribly.

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 4:01PM

will she be working as well or just watching people do it and getting paid for hosting the show?

posted by guest

Apr 15, 2008 5:25PM

To guest at 2:19, you are so very wrong! Most of them DO NOT live decent lives with their pay, because the cost of living isn't even close to comparable to the money they make.

My school took us on a trip last year to India, Pakistan and China. I saw little children working 40+ hours a week, and barely making any money. One girl in Pakistan made only 220 rupees a month. A bag of chips costs 60 rupees! She can barely afford food.

This is a huge problem, however sometimes people don't have a choice. Working with low wages is better than not working at all. They take any job that is available because they cannot afford a proper education. So maybe in one sense, it is good to support them. I wish all of this money that we waste on fast fashion could be spent to build schools and educate everyone so they can hold better jobs. However as long as capitalism exists and we have stores like Wal-Mart, this problem will always exist.

posted by enicke_

Apr 15, 2008 6:41PM

You know, I-m from Mexico. Sometimes when I go over to the US and buy clothes it will say Made in Mexico, anyways... The cost of life here is actually more expensive than in the US. Minium salary is, you know, 50 pesos a day!!!! That is LESS than 5 dollars... People cannot live with such a salary. That's why Mexico is one of the most insecure countries in the world, and that's why everyone wants to cross the river over there. Just a thought... I don't think these people working in these places are living decent lives on that pay...

posted by gucciLIES

Apr 15, 2008 7:45PM

Pointless ♪

posted by Lilyloo

Apr 16, 2008 4:33AM

The prices at Zara are not even nearly on a par with Primark. Compared with Primark Zara is expensive! you can leave primark with two - three HUGE bags full of clothes etc for only about £80-£100 ( trust me, i've done it and almost always want to kill myself with guilt afterwards becuase of the poor workers that have made the clothes, I really need this programme to make me stop! )...Alexa's amaze

posted by guest

Apr 16, 2008 12:13PM

I work in the industry and have visited many clothing factories in Asia.
You can't generalize factory vs. sweatshop. They are NOT the same. Our factories are clean, well lit, do not employ children, have set shifts that are not brutal. People honestly do make a decent wage for the standard of living in their town. Sweatshops do not comply with any of these rules. They are unregulated in all ways, and people who work with them are unscrupulous. Don't generalize that because things are made in China they are made in sweatshops.

posted by guest

Apr 16, 2008 7:10PM

It's been a few months since I've been in there, but I remember Primark's flagship store in Oxford Street displaying signs stating that Primark only uses factories that comply with acceptable human rights standards. From memory, the UK High Street sweatshop crim is Sir Philip Green's Arcadia group which, of course, includes the ever price increasing Topshop. I just Googled this link to and article from last August, but I'll bet my annual clothes budget not a lot has changed since.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article2241665.ece

posted by Francisca

Apr 28, 2008 8:32PM

It is funny how celebs want to get in touch with "really eye opening" experiences but they can't seem to get tired of their compulsive material shopping.
It seems everyone is opting for ecochoices this days because its sort of a cool trend but that doesn't make people stop consuming. Funny, hein ?