Anthropologie
October 8th, 2006 by Mollie
Anthropologie uses sweat shops (as well as engaging in other ethically sketchy behavior).
Huge sigh.
Jasmin over at Worsted Witch, who also shares my love for what she describes as “Anthroplogie’s sense of Old World sophistication”, broke the news to me a couple of days ago in a post. It is incredibly disturbing that Antropologie uses sweatshops. The use of sweatshops, at all, is incredibly disturbing.
Those of you who know me, or who have come to know me through my writing for one/change, may know the following about me:
- I have a huge appreciation for art, beauty, creativity, textiles, form, and function (and things that are feminine without being girly);
- I, for the most part, could care less about shopping.
Anthropolgie was basically the only exception to the latter because so much of what was in the store possessed the former’s qualities. To be honest, I can’t afford most of the goods Anthropologie sells, but that didn’t keep me from wandering aimlessly through the store, letting my creativity neurons fire at the speed of light and shamelessly being tempted to go into debt.
The grief I now feel about Anthropologie’s use of sweatshops is not because I will no longer shop at a store whose creativity I related to and appreciated. I understand enough to know that a store, that store, is ultimately not that important. The grief, saddness, and dissapointment I feel is the result of yet another store’s indifference to human rights. It is that the human beings, the men and women running that store could care less about the lives of other human beings, other men and women.
Check out Green Shift and Responsible Shopper to find out more information about the practices of the companies you are supporting.
It’s always better to know.
P.S. I am getting to know more independent designers whose craftsmanship and aesthetic are worthy of praise and support.