90-Hour Work Week, Beaten For Asking For Pay: Loro Piana's Worker Abuse Leaves Italy Court Fuming

A Milan court ruled that Loro Piana enabled labour exploitation that has resulted in one-year of judicial oversight after it was found that migrant workers creating the luxury Italian label's cashmere garments were found sleeping on factory floors and working up to 90 hours a week for a meagre sum of 4 Euros (Rs 400 approximately) per hour.

Photo Credit: Instagram.com/loropiana

As per the Italian prosecutors, Loro Piana which is an LVMH-owned brand, hired a firm to get their work done by giving subcontracts to workshops where workers were severely underpaid, and even physically abused, in some cases. In May 2025, local police shut down a factory producing Loro Piana clothing in Milan because of health, safety and wage-related violations.

According to a Reuters report, following investigation, cashmere giant Loro Piana on Monday (July 14) became the fifth high-end brand to be put under judicial administration in Italy for worker abuses in supply chains.

As per the 26-page ruling reviewed by Reuters, Loro Piana will go through monitoring for a year. This stems from investigations into the practice of subcontracting for luxury goods that started in Italy in 2023.

The investigation followed a worker's complaint that he was physically assaulted by a workshop owner after he demanded 10,000 Euros as unpaid wages, the report stated. According to the worker, the assault left him with injuries that needed 45 days of medical treatment.

Loro Piana, on the other hand, claimed that they did not know about the subcontracting and cut ties with the supplier as soon as they found out about it. In a statement, the company said, "Loro Piana strongly condemns any illegal practices and reaffirms its ongoing commitment to protecting human rights and complying with all applicable regulations throughout its entire supply chain."

According to Reuters, Loro Piana has joined brands like Dior, Valentino, Armani and Alviero Martini to face judicial supervision over alleged worker abuse. Such ongoing labour exposes continue to tarnish Italy's reputation for producing luxury goods.

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