Papierdoll Magazine Looks at the Re-Emergence of Sweatshops in June 2007 Issue

Papierdoll Magazine continues its ongoing series of socio-political features on the fashion industry with coverage of the re-emergence of sweatshops in the June 2007 issue.

New York, NY June 20, 2007 -- The June 2007 issue of Papierdoll's online magazine features an update this week on the pervasive return of sweatshops. Thought to have been banished to the extreme margins of the fashion industry, writer Davina Rodriguez demonstrates how these sweatshops have thrived and managed to grow in spite of public scrutiny.

Rodriguez writes of the plight of sweatshop worker Jose Gutierrez and his family working in a sweatshop that manufactures denim and related items. In a rare interview with the worker, Rodriguez learned about the true working conditions of at one of the U.S./Mexico border sweatshops and was able to see through photos and Gutierrez descriptions exactly what was going on at these facilities. Some of the conditions described in Rodriguez's article include working over 12 hours at the same task with 30-minute lunch breaks for sub-standard (for Mexico) wages, the lack of overtime for regularly extended work days, and the prevalence of child labor at some of these factories.

Rodriguez was surprised at the conditions that exist only miles from the US border. "With immigration being such a big issue in the US, it's easy to see why these people leave the desperate conditions just a couple of miles from the border," she says. "Mr. Gutierrez told a story that is a common plight of thousands (if not millions) of people in developing countries working in fashion manufacturing. The fashion industry has largely stopped talking about the issue even though it continues to this very day."

Papierdoll Editor-in-chief Michelle Bell adds, "While it is impossible to instantly eradicate the world's sweatshops, those that operate with reckless disregard for their workers in plain view of the public and the law must be stopped. Davina's article was startling in the sense that this goes on so close to a country that prides itself on protecting the civil liberties and employment rights of the poor."

The "Return of the Sweatshops" article is part of an on-going series of socio-political features published through Papierdoll's online fashion magazine. Previous features include a look at domestic violence, an interview with Liz Claiborne executive Jane Randel on their work to fund research for a cure for breast cancer, and highlighting the works of Designers Against AIDS.

Bell states, "The fashion industry is deeper than 'what is in for the season' and with the expansion of publications online, we can broaden our coverage to include a wide range of related topics like human rights, economic development, the psychology of fashion, asking, 'Why?' as often as we ask, 'Who?' or 'What?'."

This article is published in the June 2007 issue of Papierdoll's online fashion magazine. Some topics from this issue include a review of Valerie Steele's Paris Fashion, A Cultural History, a look at top summer perfumes and a photo feature entitled Hats Off on summer bridal accessories shot by renowned photographer Reka Nyari.

About Papierdoll Magazine:
Papierdoll magazine is an online fashion magazine consisting of a weekly updated publication, fashion blog updated daily, award winning shopping site ThriftyChick and the ThriftyChick blog.

Contact:
Sam Francois, Director
Papierdoll LLC
917-697-7555
http://www.papierdoll.net

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