New report claims Fashion Nova underpays workers in LA facilities

Fashion Nova is no stranger to controversy, though typically claims against the fast fashion retailer surround "copycat designs." This week, the retailer made headlines for another reason: The New York Times reported on Monday that Fashion Nova has been underpaying the workers in its Los Angeles facilities.

The U.S. Department of Labor has been conducting an investing of Fashion Nova from 2016 to the present year, as was first reported by the New York Times. Apparently, the department's investigation uncovered 3.8 million dollars in back wages that Fashion Nova owes to hundreds of workers across dozens of factories.

Headquartered in LA, the fast fashion company offers women's clothing with an average price point of around 40 dollars for a dress, with items in the category as low as 9.99 and as high as 299.99 dollars. Fashion Nova orders in bulk through third-party companies that design the clothes and then ship fabric and designs to manufacturing contractors, rather than working directly with factories.

Despite Fashion Nova's lack of involvement in its manufacturing process, the creation of its clothing is surrounded by improper treatment of workers. The reports state that workers are paid as little as 2.77 an hour, and one former factory worker who had sewn Fashion Nova clothing told the New York Times that the facility was infested by rats and cockroaches.

Fashion Nova speaks out against claims of worker mistreatment

The fast fashion company sent a statement to both the New York Times and Business Insider that claims Fashion Nova is proactive in ensuring a fair and safe environment for its workers.

Attributed to Fashion Nova's general counsel, Erica Meierhans, the statement reads: “We have already had a highly productive and positive meeting with the Department of Labor in which we discussed our ongoing commitment to ensuring that all workers involved with the Fashion Nova brand are appropriately compensated for the work they do. Any suggestion that Fashion Nova is responsible for underpaying anyone working on our brand is categorically false.”

Photo: Fashion Nova website