On the 22nd of June, Instagram account Diet Prada shared a now deleted article claiming that the Kardashian sisters’ brand were owned and associated with GBG. GBG is one of several fashion brands accused of not paying their factory workers for now-cancelled goods.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, fashion houses have had to cancel a lot of their upcoming productions, often after factory workers have actually made them. And, according to a re/make article published earlier this month, many of these companies, like Global Brands Group (GBG) and Fashion Nova, are refusing to pay their manufacturers, thereby leaving many without pay. These factory workers, many of which are women, are in “the most vulnerable position” right now and on the verge of “starving to death.”
Mostafiz Uddin is the Managing Director of Denim Experts, a sustainable denim factory. According to him, via re/make, GBG owes him and his team “hundreds of thousands of dollars for products his workers made and shipped in February.” And, sadly, they’re just one of many other factories affected by the fashion industry’s decision.
“Here my workers are hungry, they are being agitated, they are very angry,” he wrote to GBG. “I have promised them to pay wages. So, please, please make my payment.”
Although up until the 23rd of June, Kylie + Kendall was listed under the ‘Kids’ brands of GBG, a representative for the brands told Teen Vogue that these claims “are inaccurate.”
“The Kendall + Kylie brand is owned by Canada Inc.,” a spokesperson said. “The brand does not produce in Bangladesh.”
The representative continued to add that while “there was a past relationship with CAA-GBG years ago,” it has been “several years” since their working relationship. Allegedly, re/make has been updated on this and told to “take the brand down from the site.”
Kylie and Kendall Jenner themselves have yet to comment on the accusations and the impact the fashion industry’s sudden cancelled productions have had on the lives of factory workers around the world. In the meantime, we recommend following Diet Prada for more info.
