Article
Bangladesh Factory, Site of Fire That Trapped and Killed 7, Made European Brands
Clothing from many European brands...was discovered Sunday inside a charred factory where a deadly weekend fire killed seven female workers, including several who were teenagers...On Sunday, labels from several French brands, including Sol’s, Scott and Fox and G Blog by Gemo could be seen in the burned second-floor Smart Export Garments factory. Two other labels manufactured for Inditex, the world’s largest fashion group, were also visible — Leftie’s and Bershka. Labor activists found labels for the German low-cost brand KIK and a purchase order by a New York firm, M. Hidary & Company, for Hawaiian Authentics swimwear...[T]he fire at the Smart Export Garments factory has again exposed loopholes in that [supply chain auditing] system: the factory was filling many orders on subcontracts with other suppliers for global brands.