Beyonce’s Ivy Park Releases Statement, Denies Sweatshop Allegations [UPDATE]

Beyonce’s new high-end sportswear line, Ivy Park, for Topshop is accused of being made in a sweat shop. According to the Sun,

a Sri Lankan seamstresses that worked on the line, was paid only $6.17 a day. A 22-year-old sewing machine operator told the newspaper that she lives in a 100-room boarding house near the factory in the town of Katunayake. “All we do is work, sleep, work, sleep,’’ she said.

Page Six reports,

Arcadia Group, the company that owns Topshop, told the Sun it has strict rules for its suppliers. “When customers buy our goods, they have to be sure [the products] have been made under acceptable conditions. That means without exploiting the people who make them.” Arcadia added that all suppliers must provide “decent working conditions.” The Sun acknowledges that the factory — owned by a Sri Lankan tycoon named Mahesh Amalean and his two brothers — is not breaking any laws. And even the poorest of Amalean’s workers make more than the country’s minimum wage. But the newspaper quotes Jakub Sobik, from a group called Anti-Slavery International, saying, “This is a form of sweatshop slavery.’’

Beyonce’s camp has yet to comment. Photos: Instagram

Upate #2. Ivy Park has released the following statement:

Ivy Park has a rigorous ethical trading program. We are proud of our sustained efforts in terms of factory inspections and audits, and our teams worldwide work very closely with our suppliers and their factories to ensure compliance.

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