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Topshop accused of using sweatshop labour to make Beyonce’s Ivy Park range
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 17 May 2016
Beyonce’s new Ivy Park sportswear range for Topshop is being made using sweatshop labour, or so says The Sun.
The tabloid alleges that people making the singer’s clothing line at a factory in Sri Lanka are paid around £4.30 a day for their work. The cheapest product in the range is an elastic headband at £8, while a full-length bodysuit will set you back £160.
Launching the Ivy Park range last month, Beyonce said: “My goal with Ivy Park is to push the boundaries of athletic wear and to support and inspire women who understand that beauty is more than your physical appearance. True beauty is in the health of our minds, hearts and bodies. I know that when I feel physically strong, I am mentally strong and I wanted to create a brand that made other women feel the same way”.
But The Sun quotes an unnamed machinist as saying: “When they talk about women and empowerment this is just for the foreigners. They want the foreigners to think everything is OK”.
In a statement issued to Vogue, a rep for Ivy Park said: “Ivy Park has a rigorous ethical trading programme. We are proud of our sustained efforts in terms of factory inspections and audits, and our teams worldwide work very closely with our suppliers and their factories to ensure compliance. We expect our suppliers to meet our code of conduct and we support them in achieving these requirements”.
