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Although we wear clothes all the time, how often do we really think about who made them or where they came from before they reached the store we picked them from? Rarely. Hoping to spotlight the humans behind the garments we wear, clothing company Los Angeles Apparel added their workers’ faces and bios to their clothing tags, adding a layer of transparency to the manufacturing process.
This homage is small in size, but goes a long way. The concept is simple—attached to the seams, right next to the laundry instructions, is a photograph and a few lines about a staff member of Los Angeles Apparel. From sewers to supervisors and even models, the tiny messages try their best at painting a humanizing portrait of each person within the limited space available.
Within the confines of the tag, the company shares a tidbit about each person, such as their favorite dish, where they come from, and what they like to do in their free time. For example, a man named Santos is described as a “multi-talented employee” who paints and molds clay with his three daughters. Another worker named Diego is an “expert sewer” who loves his mom’s enchiladas and roots for the Dodgers. While highlighting each employee, the tags simultaneously send a message about the diversity around the company and the LA area, closing each statement with the words, “That’s Los Angeles.”
The company has also paid tribute to their workers in their newsletter, sharing a longer story about how they look after their workers. They also point out that, as a company with an LA-based operation, they pay taxes in California and offer fair wages. “All of our workers earn fair wages, with our starting employees making an average of $20 an hour,” reads the company site. “The garment workers at our factory are experts in their field and can make up to $35 an hour with productivity bonuses in a safe and ethically managed environment.”
While this effort has been praised for adding visibility to their workers, who come mostly from minority groups, the company has also had its fair share of controversies. Los Angeles Apparel was created by Dov Charney, former CEO of American Apparel, who was fired after numerous allegations including sexual harassment, racism, and sexual assault. The company also experienced a COVID outbreak in 2020 that resulted in at least four employee deaths.
Many critics of Los Angeles Apparel say it’s important for the company to acknowledge and be responsible for its actions and its leadership’s misconduct, while simultaneously praising the tags that give due credit to its laborers. Ultimately, it’s up to the company to remain accountable while prioritizing labor safety, and the consumer to decide whether they invest in the company. One thing is clear though: the acknowledgement of workers is a stark reminder of the hard work that’s put into everything we wear.
Los Angeles Apparel added their workers’ faces and bios to their clothing tags—adding a layer of transparency to the manufacturing process and simultaneously celebrating diversity around the company and the LA area.
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From sewers to supervisors and even models, the tiny messages try their best at painting a humanizing portrait of each person within the limited space available.
Los Angeles Apparel has tags with the sewer who made the clothes. pic.twitter.com/jK9KKSn397
— East L.A. News (@EASTLA_NEWS) September 1, 2019
Los Angeles Apparel: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Sources: Coronavirus outbreak hits Los Angeles Apparel with more than 300 infections, 4 employee deaths; American Apparel CEO Dov Charney fired: the fall of a merchant of sleaze
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