Luxury fashion has always presented itself as the opposite of fast fashion. A hand-stitched coat from Milan, a silk dress from Paris, or a finely crafted bag from London is marketed not only as clothing but as an heirloom; something timeless, made with care and integrity. Yet in 2025, that polished image is showing its cracks. Behind the runway glamour and glossy marketing lies an industry facing scandals over exploitation, environmental harm and empty sustainability promises.
Exploitation Behind “Made in Italy”
For decades, “Made in Italy” has been synonymous with heritage and craftsmanship. But in July 2025, that reputation was shaken when Loro Piana, the luxury cashmere brand owned by LVMH, was placed under judicial administration after officials uncovered evidence of labour exploitation in its supply chain. Workers in subcontracted factories were reportedly enduring 90-hour weeks for just €4 an hour, producing garments that retail for thousands of euros [1].
Loro Piana is not alone. Other high-profile brands, including Dior and Armani, have faced similar investigations for relying on unregulated subcontractors in Italy [2]. As The Guardian reported, the myth of “Made in Italy” as a guarantee of quality and dignity is beginning to unravel, exposing a system where luxury often hides behind outsourced labour and opaque supply chains [3].
Environmental Blind Spots
Luxury’s environmental record is equally troubling. A 2024 study by researchers from New York University, Cornell University, and Collective Fashion Justice revealed that natural fibres such as wool and cashmere — materials often celebrated by luxury brands for being “natural” and sustainable — make up less than 4% of global textile production, yet generate around 75% of fashion’s methane emissions [4].
Methane is a greenhouse gas up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. This means that luxury’s reliance on animal-based fibres can have an enormous, often overlooked climate impact; one that is rarely mentioned in brand sustainability reports or glossy marketing campaigns.
The Waste Crisis
Globally, fashion produces an estimated 90 million tonnes of textile waste every year [5]. Despite their premium image, luxury brands contribute to this problem too. Several have admitted to destroying unsold stock to preserve exclusivity and avoid discounting, a practice directly at odds with the idea that luxury goods are “timeless investments”.
This destruction reveals a deeper contradiction in luxury’s narrative: while customers are told they’re buying pieces to last a lifetime, the industry itself often treats its own products as disposable the moment they risk damaging brand image.
The Illusion of Progress
Sustainability has become a buzzword across fashion, but real progress remains limited. The Fashion Planet Benchmark Report 2025, published by ethical rating platform Good On You, found that while many large fashion brands have set climate targets, 88% show no public evidence that they are meeting them. Only 7% have measured emissions across their full supply chains, where most of the environmental impact occurs [6].
This selective transparency has been described as greenwashing (the exaggeration of environmental achievements) or greenhushing (the deliberate avoidance of disclosure). Both keep consumers in the dark and allow luxury brands to maintain an image of responsibility without being held accountable.
A Broken Promise to Consumers
Luxury fashion has always promised more than clothes. It has promised integrity, the assurance that the product you buy reflects skill, respect and fairness. But when workers are underpaid, materials are environmentally destructive, and unsold goods are incinerated, that promise collapses.
A $5,000 handbag begins to look less like a symbol of craftsmanship and more like a product of a broken system, one that asks consumers to pay a premium for the illusion of ethics.
Why Slow Fashion Matters
This is where the Slow Fashion Movement provides a genuine alternative. Rather than chasing endless growth and trend cycles, slow fashion focuses on:
- Fair treatment and pay for workers
- Longevity and care instead of overproduction
- Transparency and accountability across supply chains
- Repair, re-wear, and conscious consumption
What luxury claims to offer, slow fashion strives to make real.
At Slow Fashion Movement, we view these scandals not as isolated incidents but as symptoms of a global fashion system in crisis. Both fast and luxury fashion rely on overproduction, underpaid labour and unsustainable resource use. True luxury should mean respect for the makers, the materials and the planet.
Looking Ahead
Luxury brands now face a choice: continue hiding behind glossy marketing and limited transparency, or genuinely reform their practices. The growing interest in second-hand luxury, rental fashion, and slow fashion brands shows that consumers are ready for change. Integrity is fast becoming the new status symbol.
The dark side of luxury fashion matters in 2025 because it forces the industry (and all of us) to ask hard questions about value, responsibility and the cost of beauty. Price tags may rise, but without ethics, there is nothing truly luxurious about exploitation or waste. The real future of fashion lies in slowing down, buying better, and demanding more from the brands that shape our world.
References: EcoTextile News (April 2025). Report Highlights Fashion’s Environmental Performance Gap. Link
Reuters (14 July 2025). LVMH’s Loro Piana Put Under Court Administration in Italy Over Labour Exploitation. Link
Forbes (16 July 2025). Loro Piana Joins Growing List of Luxury Brands Tied to Worker Abuse. Link
The Guardian (24 July 2025). Made in Italy: Is the Label Just Another Luxury Fashion Illusion? Link
Wall Street Journal (15 June 2024). Methane Emissions Remain a Blind Spot for Fashion Industry, Report Finds. Link
Good On You (2025). Fashion Planet Benchmark Report 2025. Link
