Harmful chemicals also in luxury kids clothes

After a Greenpeace study about harmful chemicals in a wide range of children's clothing and footwear caused an outcry just a month ago – and wrestled a few detox commitments out of leading brands – environmental group Greenpeace International dug further and for the first time, looked for (and found)

harmful chemicals in clothing for children made by major luxury brands.

For a new report titled “A Fashionable Lie”, Greenpeace tested 27 products for children from 8 luxury fashion brands - Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Trussardi and Versace. Most of the products tested were clothing articles (T-shirts, polo shirts, skirts, shorts, a baby shawl, etc.), including one swimsuit and four items of footwear (trainers, booties, ballerinas, shoes). All were bought between May and June 2013 from the brands’ flagship stores or authorized retailers.

Sixteen products for children tested positive for harmful chemicals

Of those 27 products, 16 tested positive for one or more of the following chemicals: nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), phthalates, per-or polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) or antimony, all of which could potentially effect the health of the wearer and of the textile and garment workers who make the clothes as the chemicals have hormome-disrupting properties. They also pose a serious risk to the environment when leached from factories and the clothes themselves while washing into the world’s waterways and water cycle. The highest concentration of NPEs was detected in a Louis Vuitton branded ballerina shoe (760 mg/kg) and the highest concentration of PFCs in a Versace jacket (374 ug/kg).

"Luxury brands thrive on the exclusivity and quality of their products. This report shows they are deceiving their customers with toxic lies. This also goes beyond luxury fashion - hazardous chemicals affect everyone. These brands need to Detox their supply chains and realise that people can see through their grand illusion," said Chiara Campione, Fashion Duel project leader with Greenpeace Italy.

Interesting is also to note where the 27 tested products were acquired and manufactured: Most were bought in Italy (11 products), followed by France (4), China (3), Hong Kong, Russia and Switzerland (two each) and Denmark, Taiwan and the UK (one each). The products were predominantly made in Italy (10 products), followed by China (4), Morocco (3), Turkey (2) and Hungary, India and Thailand (one each). For five products (two by Dior, two by Trussardi and one by Hermès) the country of manufacture was not stated on the label, showing according to Greenpeace “a lack of transparency on the part of the brands concerned”.

It

should also be noted that with half the number of products made in Europe, the percentage was higher than compared to previous studies, where China and other Asian garment-producing countries dominated. As Greenpeace concedes, “this pattern may not be representative of luxury textile products in general”. The environmental organization raises the question though that given “the concentration of one hazardous chemical (nonlyphenol ethoxylates or NPEs) in some items labeled ‘Made in Italy’ ... whether the clothing tested was entirely manufactured in Europe”.

"It's time these luxury brands lived up to their reputation as fashion trendsetters and started leading the toxic-free fashion revolution. By committing to Detox their supply chains, brands like Valentino and Burberry have shown that beautiful fashion doesn't have to cost the earth. What are toxic addicts like Versace, Louis Vuitton, Dior or Dolce & Gabbana waiting for?" added Campione.

After Greenpeace’ last report titled “A little story about the monsters in your closet” of 14th January and earlier campaigns, the following fashion retailers and brands have committed to the Greenpeace Detox initiative: Adidas, Benetton, Burberry, C&A, Canepa, Coop, Esprit, G-Star Raw, H&M, Levi's, Li-Ning, Mango, M&S, Nike, Primark, Puma, Uniqlo, Valentino, Victoria's Secret and Zara.

Photos: “A Fashionable Lie”, Greenpeace