Sustainable is the new sexy … but looks like Victoria’s Secret hasn’t got the memo.
Victoria’s Secret’s working conditions are appaling. Many of their factories are located abroad, in developing nations like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Phillippines where workers worked 100+ hours in a week, didn’t have proper contracts, didn’t get sick pay, and faced abuse. [1] In 2021, the Brilliant Alliance Thai Global factory, which made bras for Victoria's Secret, closed and left over 1,250 garment workers without jobs or severance pay. The Thai government ruled that the company violated labor law and ordered it to pay the workers within 30 days. However, the workers didn't receive any payment for a year. Victoria's Secret finally payed these workers $8.3m in 'wage theft' settlement in 2022. [2]
In the US, Victoria’s Secret has been traced to prison labor to make their lingerie for as little as 23 cent an hour. In the 1990s, subcontractor Third Generation hired 35 female South Carolina inmates to sew lingerie and leisure wear for Victoria's Secret and JCPenney. [3]
Although Victoria’s Secret does use a lot of cotton in their products, which is more sustainable than petroleum-based fabrics like polyester, they have also been linked to child labor in Burkina Faso in cotton picking. A December 2011 Bloomberg News article alleged that Victoria's Secret purchased cotton from farms that used child labor and are labeling them “Fair Trade”. The investigation highlighted a specific girl who was a 13 year-old foster child forced to work on an organic and fair trade cotton farm. [4]
In 2020, Victoria’s Secret faced heavy scrutiny after a Colorado store threw away 100s of bras in the dumpster, instead of donating them. Victoria’s Secret is contributing to the growing problem of fast fashion waste, just for the brand to try and maintain a perception of exclusivity and scarcity. [5]
This only scratches the surface of the un-sustainability within Victoria's Secret. There are a lot more allegations about poor employee treatment and harassment of models. For instance, numerous reports have surfaced detailing toxic work environments, unfair labor practices, and even instances of sexual misconduct within the company.
[1] https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/ITGLWFSportswearReport2011.pdf
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/may/28/victorias-secret-thai-garment-workers-wage-settlement
[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/06/17/yes-prisoners-used-to-sew-lingerie-for-victorias-secret-just-like-in-orange-is-the-new-black-season-3/
[4] https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2011/12/15/victorias-secret-fair
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/19/victorias-secret-under-fire-after-store-dumps-hundreds-of-bras-in-bin
