Armani Accused of Misleading Ethical Claims Amid Labor Violations

According to the Antitrust Authority, the two companies have disseminated misleading ethical and social responsibility statements that contrast with the actual working conditions found at suppliers and subcontractors where a large part of the production of Armani-branded leather bags and accessories has been outsourced, CE Report quotes ANSA.

These statements are present in the companies’ Code of Ethics, in documents published on the Armani Values website (www.armanivalues.com) and on the Armani site (www.Armani.com), which contains a link to the Armani Values site.

The Authority’s investigation revealed, on one hand, that the companies emphasized their attention to sustainability—particularly social responsibility, including towards workers and their safety—which became a marketing tool used to meet growing consumer expectations.

The very name of the corporate site (Armani Values) demonstrates this, as do some documents acquired during inspections, which clearly show the goal of “increasing the positive perception of the brand from the sustainability point of view... and from the commercial point of view... leading customers to make conscious purchases aware of the ‘values’ conveyed through our products.”

On the other hand, the companies chose to outsource a large part of their production of leather bags and accessories to suppliers who, in turn, used subcontractors. In several cases, it emerged that safety devices had been removed from machinery to increase production capacity, thus seriously endangering workers’ health and safety.

Furthermore, hygienic and sanitary conditions were inadequate, and workers were often employed fully or partially “off the books.”

In this context, it is clear that respect for workers’ rights and health did not match the ethical and social responsibility statements made by Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and G.A. Operations S.p.A.

Awareness of this severely harmful situation affecting workers producing Armani-branded leather bags and accessories is also clearly proven by the fact that, during a judicial police inspection, an employee of G.A. Operations responsible for quality control declared that he “had been visiting that workshop monthly for about six months.”

Finally, an internal document from Giorgio Armani S.p.A. in 2024, prior to the opening of the judicial administration procedure requested by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office, even states that “in the best situations found, the work environment is at the limit of acceptability; in other cases, there are serious doubts about their adequacy and healthiness.”