Hannah Ernst

There is an inherent lack of liability and consequences for injustices in the fashion industry. Until recently, it’s been a difficult task to hold brands accountable for climate and human rights wrongdoings. As we increase our acknowledgement of this to be a global issue, there are still surprising elements to the industry that make you wonder how exploitation and wage theft can take place even in the U.S.; a country that has a set minimum wage per hour. Many expect that big fashion brands are naturally inclined to pay their workers (at least) a minimum wage, but that metric seems to have gotten lost in the piece-rate-pay system in which workers get paid by each finished piece rather than having a set hourly wage. This forces garment workers to prioritize quantity, often ignoring their own wellbeing to sustain their income. This results in an hourly wage of $5 per hour compared to the minimum wage of $15.50 in California, according to the US department of labor, without any legal repercussions for brands abusing their workers.

This specifically concerns the Hispanic and Latinx communities who make up a large portion of garment workers in the U.S.; specifically in Los Angeles and New York, with about half of all garment workers operating in the U.S. hailing from Latin America. During the pandemic, it was often Latina women who worked unpaid overtime in hot, stuffy factories to sew our protective face masks, while exposing themselves to a health-threatening environment daily. Outside of the US, Latin America also makes up a significant portion of clothing exports to the U.S., and has seen a massive increase in export-oriented manufacturing since the 1980s. In some Latin American countries, garments make up almost half of the countries’ exports.

Luckily, there are several amazing Latinx and Hispanic-owned brands that ignite conversations about the narrative and craftsmanship of their own countries’ garment workers. These brands center traditional artisan techniques and translate them into a modern context. There is inherent beauty and sustainability in many cultures which may help us navigate to a more sensible handling of resources and means of production.

Here are seven Hispanic and Latinx brands with an ethical and sustainable brand credo whose creations not only bridge the gap between continents but also between the past and the future.