Exploited Chinese workers employed in Italy by an unauthorized subcontractor made handbags and accessories for the Giorgio Armani fashion house in a series of supply chain abuses that the in-house production company failed to properly monitor, Italian police said Friday.
The fashion house denied wrongdoing by GA Operations, which produces apparel, accessories and home decor for the Giorgio Armani Group brands.
“The company has always had control and prevention measures in place to minimize abuses in the supply chain,’’ the Armani statement said. “GA Operations will collaborate with the utmost transparency with the competent bodies to clarify its position on the matter."
According to police, GA Operations hired a subcontractor, which in turn hired unauthorized Chinese subcontractors that employed workers under the table, some of whom were in Italy illegally. They allegedly disregarded health and safety regulations as well as rules governing working hours, breaks and days off.
Police said it was part of a system of caporalato, the illegal intermediation and exploitation of workers most often associated with the agricultural sector. Four Chinese factory owners face a separate criminal investigation for their role.
GA Operations, meanwhile, is not under investigation, but has been placed under judicial administration for up to a year as part of a procedure to ensure legal operations, said Carabinieri Lt. Col. Loris Baldassarre.
A diagram released by police indicated that the Chinese subcontractor was paid 93 euros (US$100) for a handbag that the fashion house sold for around 1,800 euros (around $1950). The authorized subcontractor, acting as the middleman but without real production capabilities, was paid 250 euros for the same bag, pocketing 157 euros for each bag, police said.
“The system allows for maximizing profits (in which) the Chinese factory actually produces the products, lowering labor costs by resorting to off-the-books and illegal workers,’’ police said in a statement.
A video released by carabinieri shows a workshop where leather goods were being made, with two beds with blankets in an adjacent office. A second-floor dormitory, reached through a gated stairway, had a set of bunkbeds and another bed strewn with clothes and blankets.
Cooking pots were piled in a filthy bathroom alongside a broken sink and a pot with water containing what appears to be eel. A makeshift kitchen included a gas burner next to a wall splattered with food. Dirty dishes and uneaten food were piled on the sink. Cardboard was taped over windows.
The finding is part of a wider investigation into the fashion supply chain operating in the Milan and Bergamo provinces, which placed bag and accessory maker Alviero Martini Spa under judicial administration in January, Baldassarre said.
In the more recent case, police investigated four illegally operating factories with unhealthy working conditions and a series of safety violations, including illegal dormitories with “sanitary and hygienic conditions below the ethical minimum.â€
The factories were ordered closed, and the four Chinese owners facing a separate criminal investigation were handed fines and administrative sanctions totaling 145,000 euros (nearly US$157,000).
Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a yearslong conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies that threatens to push the Middle East closer toward a regionwide war.
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio are facing off Tuesday night in New York City for their first – and only – U.S. vice-presidential debate. Here is a live fact check of everything being said between the two.
A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office says her recent comment about chemtrails doesn't mean she believes the United States government is spraying them in the province.
The president of e-commerce giant Shopify Inc. wants Canada to address a problem he calls "the 600-pound beaver in the room."
An Indigenous family has filed a human rights complaint against retail giant Canadian Tire over a pair of incidents that happened on the same day at the company’s Coquitlam, B.C., location.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government survived another Conservative-led non-confidence vote on Tuesday, the second in less than a week. This, the same day the Bloc Quebecois had an opportunity to table a non-confidence motion of its own, opting instead to push the Liberals to support one of its key demands.
A 13-year-old girl has been charged with allegedly murdering her s-year-old sister in Taylor over the weekend.
Tim Walz and JD Vance on Tuesday went after each other's running mates in a vice-presidential debate that opened with a discussion of burgeoning domestic and international troubles.
An Indigenous family has filed a human rights complaint against retail giant Canadian Tire over a pair of incidents that happened on the same day at the company’s Coquitlam, B.C., location.
The leader of the B.C. Conservative party is once again under fire for comments related to climate change – this time for suggesting there is an "anti-human agenda" behind the push to confront warming global temperatures.
The lawyer for "Freedom Convoy" organizer Chris Barber told a judge Monday that a court order banning honking in downtown Ottawa during the protest wasn't clear enough.
A British Columbia lawyer has resigned from the provincial law society after he sexually harassed staff at his law firm, including attempts to surreptitiously photograph one employee without her knowledge, according to the regulator.
A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.
Calgary five most expensive homes for sale as of Oct. 1, 2024.
Tim Walz and JD Vance on Tuesday went after each other's running mates in a vice-presidential debate that opened with a discussion of burgeoning domestic and international troubles.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on Tuesday he “misspoke†when he previously said he’d visited Hong Kong in the spring of 1989 during protests in China’s Tiananmen Square but insisted he “was in Hong Kong and China†during the pro-democracy protests.
An airplane carrying Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva back to Brasilia has landed safely at the Felipe Angeles airport, north of Mexico City, after circling for hours due to a technical problem, Brazil's press secretary said Tuesday.
New York magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi is publicly accusing her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza, a prominent political journalist with Politico, of orchestrating a harassment and blackmail campaign against her after their split and while Nuzzi had a personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
CBS News said Tuesday that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has declined to participate in an interview with “60 Minutes†for its election special, which will go forward next Monday with Democratic opponent Kamala Harris alone.
An 81-year-old Montana man was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for illegally using tissue and testicles from large sheep hunted in Central Asia and the U.S. to create hybrid sheep for captive trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government survived another Conservative-led non-confidence vote on Tuesday, the second in less than a week. This, the same day the Bloc Quebecois had an opportunity to table a non-confidence motion of its own, opting instead to push the Liberals to support one of its key demands.
As war spread in the Middle East on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly 'unequivocally' condemned Iran's move to fire dozens of missiles into Israel and called for no further escalation in the war from all sides.
The Chinese community in Canada has long been caught in the crosshairs of political discourse, disinformation and propaganda originating from the Communist Party in Beijing, a media industry veteran told a public inquiry Tuesday.
A woman with the rare condition of two uteruses delivered twins, one from each womb, last month at a hospital in northwestern China, according to health officials and state media.
This fall and winter, Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut will offer the newer monoclonal antibody nirsevimab — approved by Health Canada in the spring of 2023 — to all babies going through their first RSV season.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it is not providing Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine this respiratory virus season, citing low demand.
The bracket for 2024's Fat Bear Week contest was revealed Tuesday night, but only after a deadly bear-on-bear attack at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve on Monday delayed the unveiling.
Archeologists in Denmark have unearthed more than 50 'exceptionally well preserved' skeletons in a large Viking-era burial ground in the east of the country.
The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June welcomed their new ride home with Sunday's arrival of a SpaceX capsule.
Daniel Day-Lewis is coming out of retirement, seven years after his last movie, for a film directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis.
Amazon announced Tuesday the removal of a memoir from its site that purports to tell the story of an abusive relationship between the late actor and model Kim Porter and her longtime partner, hip-hop mogul Sean â€Diddy" Combs.
An attorney said Tuesday he is representing 120 accusers who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Sean “Diddy†Combs, the hip-hop mogul who is awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The president of e-commerce giant Shopify Inc. wants Canada to address a problem he calls "the 600-pound beaver in the room."
Restaurant company SIR Corp. is investigating a cybersecurity incident that has impacted part of its information technology infrastructure.
The 45,000 dockworkers who went on strike Tuesday for the first time in decades at 36 U.S. ports from Maine to Texas may wield the upper hand in their standoff with port operators over wages and the use of automation.
Baby hippo, Moo Deng, has become a viral sensation, with her adorable photos and videos flooding social media and even earning a skit on Saturday Night Live.
A code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms, Australia’s government said on Tuesday.
If you find it odd that Kate McKinnon chose her first book to be for middle-grade kids, the former “Saturday Night Live†star says, think again.
It was an exciting weekend for hockey fans in Sudbury, as the city hosted an NHL preseason game.
Ryan Hunter's athleticism has been on full display since his arrival in the CFL, but the Canadian's versatility is now shining through.
Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri tried to lay to rest rumours that he has friction with Edward Rogers, the executive chair of Rogers Communications, Inc.
General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division will pay a US$1.5 million penalty after the unit failed to fully report a crash involving a pedestrian, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Vancouver Police Department is expecting to be over budget by the end of the year, according to a report.
An Indigenous family has filed a human rights complaint against retail giant Canadian Tire over a pair of incidents that happened on the same day at the company’s Coquitlam, B.C., location.
The goat found wandering around East Vancouver Friday night is headed home, police say.
A 33-year-old man has been arrested after two females were found dead inside a home in Courtice, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
One person is dead and two others are in hospital after a break-in at a Mississauga home early Tuesday morning ended in gunfire, Peel police say.
Food insecurity in Mississauga has reached an unprecedented and unwanted milestone.
Calgary police say they're investigating the attack of a prominent local radio host over the weekend.
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) says safeguards have been put in place at a gas well fire north of Cochrane.
A man has been charged with sexual assault following an incident involving a seven-year-old girl in Calgary's Fish Creek Park in August.
A planned expansion of OC Transpo's zero-emission bus fleet is expected to be delayed and the city won’t be getting any 60-foot electric buses, according to a new report.
Last summer, Garfield Park celebrated its opening as a fully fenced-in off-leash dog park, but a year later it turns out it was all a big mistake.
Kingston, Ont. police say several people have been arrested and charged following a break-in at a home in the city's east end last week.
Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz went head to head Tuesday night for the first and only planned vice-presidential debate of this U.S. election cycle.
Montreal police (SPVM) say they have arrested a man in connection with an alleged bank robbery in the borough of Saint-Leonard that occurred on Sept. 28.
Quebec's language will have unexpected consequences on music retailers as they brace for major changes in the new year.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office says her recent comment about chemtrails doesn't mean she believes the United States government is spraying them in the province.
"The Fair Compensation Project will include advocacy on several ways that the City of Edmonton is not being fairly compensated for the services we provide," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday.
Alberta's premier shared new details Tuesday about her government's proposed gender legislation.
The Nova Scotia RCMP is continuing its search for a missing woman after finding her vehicle in Pictou County last week.
A Progressive Conservative candidate in New Brunswick’s upcoming election is under fire Tuesday morning for a Facebook post she made on Truth and Reconciliation Day.
A familiar face for Maritimers and those who watch the Canadian series "Trailer Park Boys" is combining his love of art and cats.
The Winnipeg Police Service is looking for a new helicopter to replace the current aircraft, which has been in service for 15 years.
A 44-year-old woman has died after a two-vehicle crash on a Manitoba highway Tuesday morning.
Manitoba Hydro reported a $157 million consolidated net loss according to the company's 2023-24 fiscal update.
Over the weekend, the Saskatchewan Roughriders wore their Indigenous-themed logo for the first time at Mosaic Stadium.
Saskatchewan residents will vote for their next provincial government on Oct. 28.
Sentencing in relation to a fatal incident in 2020 that left two experienced SaskPower workers dead has been adjourned until Oct. 18, according to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
A Guelph man charged with the hit-and-run death of a well-known community advocate and has now been charged in a separate collision.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Kitchener took home two Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Canada awards on Tuesday night.
The second Ontario Civilian Police Commission hearing for Guelph Police Services Constable Corey McArthur continued in Guelph on Tuesday.
An Ahtahkakoop man who came to prominence in Saskatchewan’s Indigenous business community and helped thousands of First Nations people complete their education died on Friday.
Saskatchewan residents will vote for their next provincial government on Oct. 28.
Exclusive polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix outlines what preferences voters have, if they’re familiar with the party leaders and what issues matter most as Saskatchewan enters into the 2024 provincial election campaign.
Two 17-year-olds have been charged in Elliot Lake with breaking into Centennial Arena and causing $50,000 in damage.
A West Nipissing family whose son died minutes after he was born is raising money to buy comfort care equipment for families grieving the loss of a newborn child.
As the investigation continues into the fatal northern Ontario house fire that killed four people on the evening of Sept. 19, police have released some details about the victims.
Erin Fredin needs a liver transplant and is now appealing to the public. By sharing her story, she hopes to find a living donor.
Emotional victim impact statements were read into court Tuesday at the sentencing of a couple convicted of tying up, beating, and sexually assaulting their children during their upbringing.
Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz went head to head Tuesday night for the first and only planned vice-presidential debate of this U.S. election cycle.
Tributes have started pouring in for a Midland, Ont. man who died after reportedly being struck by an unmarked provincial police vehicle over the weekend.
Provincial police handed a 22-year-old driver accused of being impaired a lengthy licence suspension after conducting a traffic stop along Highway 400 over the weekend.
Moffatt's Mazda in Barrie has been implementing a new video service that allows customers to see what their mechanics see, to be as transparent as possible.
A 21-year-old Windsor man is on trial in Superior Court for trying to join a terrorist organization.
New cases of human smuggling along the shores of Canada's southernmost region occur almost daily, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz went head to head Tuesday night for the first and only planned vice-presidential debate of this U.S. election cycle.
A young man has been charged with first-degree murder after police were called to investigate a suspicious death on Vancouver Island over the weekend.
A British Columbia lawyer has resigned from the provincial law society after he sexually harassed staff at his law firm, including attempts to surreptitiously photograph one employee without her knowledge, according to the regulator.
David Eby promised to expand financial supports and job protections for sick British Columbians if he wins this month's provincial election, throwing barbs at his main opponent in the process.
A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.
The officer who shot and killed a forcible confinement suspect in Kamloops two years ago was justified in doing so, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.
Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
From offering two meals a week to three a day, the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen has grown immensely over the past 40 years.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A 40-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie who was on probation has been charged with assault with a weapon following an incident in August.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard took the stand in his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, denying that he raped his accuser and painting a dramatically different picture of their encounter eight years ago.
Overnight on Thursday as the community of Elliot Lake was resting to prepare for the upcoming Kraft Hockeyville celebrations, when vandals struck a building that has been top of mind for the northern Ontario city for more than a year.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
