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Article

22 Jul 2011

Author:
Michael Day, Independent [UK]

Why Versace is putting workers' health before style

Italy's style capital has become the...focus of a battle to save some of the world's poorest textile workers who campaigners claim have died from a widespread industrial technique used to make clothes for the West...Versace...announced that it was throwing its weight behind a campaign to end sandblasting – a manual process used to produce trendy worn-look denim – but which campaigners claim destroys workers' lungs...The company said it carried out a comprehensive review of its suppliers last year and that none of them carried out sandblasting. But...it had "decided to take a more proactive approach and join other industry leaders to encourage the elimination of sandblasting as an industry practice"...The statement marks a victory for campaigners, with big names such as Levi Strauss, H&M and Karen Millen also having pledged to stop selling sandblasted products...[also refers to Diesel]