Fashion industry, capitalism & women’s labour rights — inside the hidden cost of luxury
Max Mara workers went on strike on May 22 and 23: “They Call Us Too Fat.”
At the heart of Italian luxury lies a troubling contradiction. While Max Mara is celebrated for its timeless elegance and impeccable coats, the workers behind the brand—mostly women—are speaking out against harsh realities: rigid rules, physical exhaustion, wage theft, and blocked promotions.
The latest protest comes from Max Mara’s San Maurizio factory in Reggio Emilia, where 220 workers (mostly women) went on strike, supported by the Filctem-CGIL union.
Their demands? An end to “unacceptable working conditions” that they say belong to the 1980s, not modern Italy.
Max Mara workers: “They called us fat. They monitored our bathroom breaks.”
Inside the factory, employees describe a dehumanizing environment:
- Body-shaming: They called us cows to be milked. They told us we were too fat, even suggesting we do exercises to slim down.”
- Exploitative pay: “We’re basically paid by the piece, like machines on an assembly line.”
- Surveillance and humiliation: “They monitor our bathroom breaks—even though we’re women with menstrual cycles.”
Erica Morelli, head of Filctem-CGIL in Reggio Emilia, condemned the company’s inaction: “Max Mara has built a wall. This strike is our last resort to demand basic respect.”
Marco Grimaldi, deputy leader of AVS in the Chamber of Deputies, commented on the matter, having submitted a parliamentary question: “The Max Mara giant doesn’t even apply the national collective textile agreement (CCNL), nor does it provide any transparency regarding emissions or climate protection.”
Luxury labels, sweatshop realities
This isn’t an isolated incident. Max Mara joins a long list of fashion brands tainted by labour abuse. Investigations have uncovered subcontracted workshops—so-called “dormitory factories” near Milan and Bergamo—where Chinese workers sew designer bags for just €2/hour. These same bags retail for €1,800–3,000.
Let’s break down the math:
- Production cost per bag: €40–90
- Retail price: Up to 3,000% markup
- Worker’s share: Less than 1% of the retail price
In short, luxury fashion giants do business at the expense of people and the planet. Fashion fuels 5% of Italy’s GDP — yet it runs on modern-day slavery. That’s unacceptable.
Final thoughts: Capitalism’s ugly truth
The fashion industry is a mirror of capitalism—glamorous on the surface, exploitative underneath. Behind the sheen of luxury lies a system built on squeezing labour to maximize profits. And yet, as union leaders argue, raising pay by just €1–5 per item could radically change workers’ lives.
The testimonies of female workers at Max Mara reveal how deeply rotten the economic system is. Can the fashion industry really sustain itself by degrading the very people who power it?
Ultimately, they can apply patches—solutions that seem to work—coordinated with unions, police, whoever. But unless we address the root cause (the economic system itself), nothing will truly change.