No one wants to be on the "naughty list" during the holidays, particularly Gorman, the local, edgy label that was given the title by Oxfam this week for failing to disclose where its clothes are made.
The brand, known for its quirky prints, has hit back at Oxfam's annual "naughty or nice" list with a statement that begins: "Gorman's decision not to publicly disclose the identity of its manufacturers is not 'naughty'."
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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?
Gorman agrees that increased transparency would improve working conditions, however, they cite "commercial reasons" for not doing so.
"[The] Gorman team have worked closely with their manufacturers on the development of techniques, trims and treatments that are key to Gorman's point-of-difference in the marketplace. We are currently not prepared to share the details of our manufacturers with our competitors," they said.
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During a meeting between Gorman and Oxfam last month, the fashion label claimed the advocacy group ignored offers to have a classified list of their suppliers; visit its factories in India and China; and set up an initiative to share its supply chain information with a registered labour rights organisation so there could be transparency without their competitors finding out about their arrangements.
Oxfam explained the devastating Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 that killed 1135 workers was the main reason behind their list.
"Wouldn't it be nice to know that the brands you buy from this Christmas are treating the women in their factories fairly?" Oxfam said in a statement.
"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."
Gorman was started by nurse-turned-designer Lisa Gorman in Melbourne in 1999, and brought on Factory X to manage its retail operations in 2009. Other brands owned by Factory X include Alannah Hill and Dangerfield - both were also called out by Oxfam.
In April this year, Gorman came under fire when it (under it's parent company Factory X) received an "F" - the lowest possible rating on a report on Australian fashion ethics from Baptist World Aid Australia, covering policies, suppliers, auditing and worker conditions - because it chose to not participate in the survey.
Around the same time, the label sparked a social media mini-meltdown after an Instagram post on its official account, showed Chinese factory workers extolling the virtues of its wool garments.
Other fashion brands to also make Oxfam's "naughty" list include Zara, Uniqlo, Topshop, Just Jeans, Peter Alexander, Best & Less and Asos.
Meanwhile, their "nice" list was almost twice as long, including retail giants Woolworths (owner of Big W department chain), H&M;, Gap, Kmart, Target, Coles, Berlei, Bonds, Jockey, Cotton On, Katies, Rivers, Jeanswest, Forever New, Review and Designworks.
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