Categories
Fashion

Is It Luxury When Made in a Sweatshop?

We are still processing the Loro Piana scandal.  A luxury brand with such statue producing pieces selling upwards of 7000 uses sweatshop labor.  Once again, another LVMH label has been hit with legal action in Italy. The 101-year-old cashmere name plate once was known as the epitome of traditional style.  The softness, the heavenly feel of the material, the craftsmanship all justified the galaxy high sticker price.  Believing fantasy is better than the unpleasant cost control reality.

Loro Piana

In July 2025, Loro Piana’s pricey stitching unraveled as if it had been purchased from a 1 euro store. Italian prosecutors placed the company under a one-year court administration.  The reasons are many, yet not shocking in light of past allegations against subcontracted producers.  7.000-euro pieces were produced in sweatshops under abusive conditions. 

Migrant employees were forced to endure 90 hours per week shifts for $4 per hour.

Workers slept in the factory to make $120 jackets sold in fancy boutiques at $5.000. A sick burn to the buyer thinking he bought something made with Italian artistry, not by a person living in a hot, harshly lit, cramped prefab warehouse on the city outskirts.

This is not the first time Loro Piana has been in hot seat from a questionable supply chain.  Last year there were accusations of South American Vacuna farmers working for free while supplying the Milan based company with materials for its collections. A company based in the center of Paris with a net worth of $240 billion can’t formulate a way to pay basic wages to the workers who are basis-of its success.

The question has to be asked again, why hasn’t LVMH cleaned up its act? The answer is simple. A business model not based on a quality product but on exploitation means big profits.  

Categories
Fashion Technology

A Look Back when Hasselblad met Filippa K.

From the archive, a bit of a stylish high tech editorial shoot with luxury camera brand Hasselblad combined with styling from Swedish label Filippa K.

Model Ludwig shot by Dale Grant

Model Ludwig wearing Filippi K shot by Dale Grant

Categories
Fashion

Loro Piano, New Scandal, Old News

Yet again another luxury fashion brand finds itself in legal trouble. LVMH’s Loro Piana has been placed under court supervision because of explotative production.   Chinese laborers complained of wages being held, working long hours and physical violence used against workers. 

Loro Piana
is this jacket worth 4600 euros?

After numerous recent scandals why didn’t the French corporate giant clean up its production act? According to Reuters the outsourced factory produced cashmere jackets for as little as 128 euros per unit that sold for up to 7000 euros.  That is a 5300% mark-up. 

Will this scandal tarnish Loro Piano’s reputation with buyers?  That remains to be seen. Playing on the desire for the aspirational.  Luxury labels are taking advantage of their customers.  They may learn relationships have boundaries.

Categories
Fashion

Paris Fashion Week Men Got A Bit Sexy

Paris Fashion Week Men, the view, after looking over many collections. Sexy came into focus this season with a dash of being a masculine troublemaker.

Paris Fashion Week Men 2025
Sean Suen

Categories
Fashion

Milan Fashion Week Men Returns to the Classics

Milan Fashion Week Men Spring 26 collections turns to more classic styling and tailoring. As the fashion industry continues having challenges, brands moved to more traditional masculine silhouettes with narrow color palettes.

Categories
Fashion

Superfine Black Dandy

As we say ” Vogue got up with us” for the annual Met Gala theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” From the archives here is a collection of some Superfine Black Dandy gentlemen dressed up, ready to go.

Black Dandy
Categories
Before Tacky

Dandyism

As the Met Gala’s themed “SuperFine:Tailoring Black Style” event approaches on May 5th 2025, this repost of a Before Tacky fashion podcast episode from Pitti Uomo Florence with Dandy Taiwo Meghoma talking about fashion trends and dandyism.

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Before Tacky podcast

The Silent Innovator Who Inspired Everton

During Pitti Uomo, Everton McDougall from Haus by Everton unveiled some new pieces inspired by an African American innovator. The Canadian shoe wear owner went beyond his shoe collection showing new designs and materials at the menswear fair.

Categories
Before Tacky Fashion

Denim His Way

During Pitti Uomo in Florence, Bologna based Victor Hart explained his denim look. The Ghana born designer is a craftsman when it comes to fabric but especially loves the versatile material.

Check out the Before Tacky Podcast

Categories
Before Tacky

The Trainer’s Statement

From Florence Italy during Pitti Uomo, this spontaneous podcast happened while walking to another appointment. I met Felipe Fiallo while the Italian shoe designer was discussing his collection.

I grabbed a tablet, then asked him to go over his footwear designs.