Zara, Uniqlo and Topshop may have been embraced by Australia shoppers, but advocacy group Oxfam has urged the international giants to shed light on where and how their apparel is made.
Ahead of the key Christmas period, Oxfam has released its annual "Naughty & Nice" list detailing which big retailers operating in Australia are disclosing the location of their factories.
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An unchanged industry in the wake of a disaster
After the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh that killed 1,130 people, the fashion industry came under never before seen scrutiny. But, did anything change?
In a letter to donors, Oxfam said: "Wouldn't it be nice to know that the brands you buy from this Christmas are treating the women in their factories fairly?
"Since the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh shocked the world in 2013, many companies have promised to improve their practises, updated their code of conduct and sign on to pledges designed to protect workers.
"Which is great. But unless a company publishes the location of its factories there is still no way of checking if their clothing is being made under safe and fair conditions. And workers can't easily raise problems and get them fixed."
Other retailers on Oxfam's "Naughty" list are:
- The Solomon Lew-backed Just Group (which includes Just Jeans, Peter Alexander and Dotti)
- Best & Less (owned by Pepkor South East Asia)
- Factory X (includes brands Gorman, Dangerfield and Alannah Hill)
- ASOS of the UK
On the plus side, Oxfam said the "Nice" list was "bigger than it's ever been with a handful of companies making the switch just in time for the festive season".
And retail giants Wesfarmers, Woolworths (owner of Big W department chain), H&M; and Gap were among big retailers to be given the thumbs up for increasing disclosure.
Wesfarmers-owned Kmart, Target and Coles were praised as "world leaders when it comes to transparency ... When buying that T-shirt or dress from these companies, you can be assured they are not hiding the factories where their clothes are made".
Other retailers on the "Nice" list are:
- Cotton On Group
- Pacific Brands (the owner of Berlei bras and Bonds underwear)
- Specialty Fashion Group
- Jeanswest
- Forever New
- PAS Group
Oxfam said the increased disclosure was "thanks to tens of thousands of supporters ... who've stood with these women over the past 20 years and joined Oxfam's campaign for fashion brands operating in Australia to take meaningful action to protect their workers."
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