Topshop have announced that they are to include a new range of ethical Fairtrade clothing to appear side by side lines of garments made in the companies ‘sweatshops’, in its flagship Oxford Street branch. The High Street chain announced the new arrival from ‘Bibico’ following a successful trial during Fairtrade Fortnight, whilst continuing to refuse acknowledgement of the ongoing human rights abuses in their supply chains.

The high street store has received positive publicity following the introduction of a small number of Fairtrade clothing lines. By aligning themselves with ethical trading organisations such as Bibico, Topshop hopes to raise their ethical credentials and appear attractive to the ethic-savvy customer.

However, Topshop’s apparent commitment to ethical fashion will be questioned whilst the majority of Topshop’s garments continue to be produced in ‘slave labour’ conditions. Topshop’s persistent refusal to join the Ethical Trading Initiative suggests little or nothing is being done to improve the lives of its workers and the introduction of a small amount of Fairtrade lines cannot be seen as a real signal of change.

Topshop came under fire following a Sunday Times report in August 2007 which revealed human rights abuses in the factories supplying Topshop, owned by Philip Green’s Arcadia Group. Topshop’s billionaire boss has claimed that the company has changed its practises, but refuses to join the Ethical Trading Initiative in order to publicly verify these claims.

People & Planet’s Redress Fashion campaign is lobbying Topshop owner Philip Green to take action and join the Ethical Trading Inititative. Jim Cranshaw, Trade Campaigner at People & Planet said

‘‘The Arcadia Group’s deafening silence on the issue of the Ethical Trading Initiative suggests the company’s indifference to the human right abuses that are talking place in their supply chain. Introducing a few Fairtrade clothing lines is obviously just an opportunistic attempt to hijack the lucrative ethics-conscious market and just ends up looking like greenwash. By drawing the focus onto the new Fairtrade range, Topshop is further marginalising the exploited workers that produce the majority of their lines. We need to ensure consumers see through this kind of hypocritical ethics fraud’’.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1.Following on from actions against Primark last year, People & Planet are
targeting Topshop on the high street, demanding that it takes the basic
step of joining the Ethical Trading Initiative.

2. People & Planet is a member of the Clean Clothes Campaign an
international campaign, focused on improving working conditions in the
global garment and sportswear industries, and empower the workers in it. 'Labour behind the Label' coordinates the UK platform of the Clean Clothes Campaign.'Labour Behind the Label' is an organisation which supports garment workers’ efforts worldwide to improve their working conditions, through awareness raising, information provision and encouraging international solidarity between workers and consumers.

3.The Sunday Times report contains good quotes and statistics about
Topshop’s supply chain

 http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article2241665.ece

4.The Ethical Trading Initiative is an alliance of companies, NGOs and
trade union organisations working to promote and improve the
implementation of corporate codes of practice which cover supply chain
working conditions.

www.ethicaltrade.org

5.Labour Behind the Label’s Report ‘Cleaning up Fashion’ was last
published on 12th September 2008.
 http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/about


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