New York, Dec 22 (ANI): The Kardashian clan has denied claims that some of the products underpinning their multimillion-dollar fashion empire come from Chinese sweatshops.
In a statement issued by the Kardashian family, spokeswoman Jill Fritzo called suggestions of worker mistreatment "100 percent not true".
"They absolutely have no knowledge of this and would never condone this, which is why we checked this out when it was brought to our attention today," the New York Daily News quoted Fritzo as saying.
According to Star Magazine, the sweatshop scandal which erupted on early Wednesday, claimed that the Kardashian clan was selling or endorsing products built in Chinese sweatshops where workers - some as young as 16 - were "virtually imprisoned."
A human rights group is investigating the famous family and is particularly interested in the K-Dash by Kardashian label, the Kris Jenner Kollection sold on QVC and ShoeDazzle.
The human rights group said that it has not infiltrated any Kardashian-connected factories to document mistreatment as yet.
"We're in the initial stages of research," Charles Kernaghan, the executive director of the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, told The News.
"It takes a long time to find these factories and get people inside, so our investigation hasn't been launched yet.
He said his group is targeting the Kardashians based on their celebrity status and import-export paperwork suggesting their factories are in regions of southern China notorious for bad working conditions.
"We're still going forward with the investigation, and I would be completely flabbergasted if they're good factories.
"In these areas, typically these are low-wage sweatshops.
"Workers typically work 12 hours a day and still go back to filthy dormitories, enduring 100-degree heat.
"If we can get people into these factories, I feel we'll find something," he said
Kardashian family momager Kris Jenner told TMZ.com that while she has not visited the China factories personally, she believes them to be humane.
"As far as I know, the factories that are used to manufacture the Kardashian clothing and shoes have nothing terrible going on at all.
"The factories are very well policed and meet factory standards," she said. (ANI)
|
Comments: