Fresh off of the infidelity hoopla sparked by her”Lemonade” visual album, Beyoncé is now battling nasty allegations surrounding her uber successful activewear collection, Ivy Park.
The Telegraph reports that the superstar’s clothing line, which is meant to “support and inspire women,” is actually being made in a Sri Lankan sweatshop owned by fashion and accessories export giant MAS Holdings.
On Sunday, a 22-year-old seamstress detailed the work conditions to UK’s The Sun. The workers are mostly young women from rural villages who can only afford to live in boarding houses provided by factory owners for a price.
The seamstress, who has to share a 10-foot-by-10-foot room with her younger sister, said the laborers earn as little as $6.17 a day, working over 60 hours a week to make a living.
“All we do is work, sleep, work, sleep,” she told The Sun — anonymously for fear of being fired or worse.
MAS Holdings has been linked to sweatshop allegations in the past, but Ivy Park released a statement today denying the claims.
“Ivy Park has a rigorous ethical trading program. We are proud of our sustained efforts in terms of factory inspections and audits, and our teams worldwide work very closely with our suppliers and their factories to ensure compliance.”
If the allegations are true, it’s a gross oversight by Bey’s brand—especially since Bey is seen as a humanitarian and self-proclaimed feminist. Furthermore, fast fashion has a well-documented and sordid history with illegal foreign labor.
Either way, perhaps we should prepare for a very socially uplifting visual album indirectly addressing the allegations three years from now.
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