When boohoo's panel event opened yesterday in London to discuss 'ethical clothing and industry collaboration', senior representatives were met by a storm of protestors disrupting the show. The fair fashion campaigners took action to express solidarity with the brand's garment workers.
Venetia La Manna was the first of eight women to stand up and criticise them, shouting: "Why aren't your garment makers on this panel?" before being escorted out by security. The Manchester-based company faced a 'slavery scandal' in 2020 after reports found some of their UK staff were on less than minimum wage and working in poor conditions.
Speaking to the Mirror, Venetia said: "The aim of the protest was to call out boohoo's greenwashing. We thought it would be a great time for an in-person action because they are so important, especially when we're against a big beast like boohoo."
Greenwashing is a term used to describe businesses deceptively marketing their products as 'green' and eco-friendly - when they actually aren't.
boohoo is one of three brands currently being investigated by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority over its environmental credentials.
"There's currently not enough legislation to prevent them from making false claims and it's very easy for brands to greenwash," Venetia explained.
The Source Fashion panel was compromised of four boohoo managers and chaired by Cheryl Chung, the brand's former global head of corporate affairs.
"It is very strange to host a panel with representatives from the same organisation and only in top positions," Venetia said.
"On top of that, the moderator who was supposed to be asking hard-hitting questions was also a former employee."
One protestor alleged that staff in Burnley aren't permitted to take frequent toilet breaks, and another claimed: "While garment workers make £3.50 an hour, boohoo's CEO is set to receive a bonus of 200 times his salary."
"We didn't think it was right that a brand with one of the worst track records - in terms of worker and environmental exploitation - was taking up vital space that we really need, in a conversation about ethics and the future of collaboration," Venetia explained.
"This is not a brand that collaborates with the people they work with. If they did, they wouldn't have so much money because the people making their clothes would be paid a fair living wage."
Despite appearing brave on camera, Venetia said she was really nervous and it's "always nerve-wracking participating in something like this".
"I care deeply about a truly ethical future for the fashion industry, so this is something I believe I need to do to be in solidarity with the garment workers who don't have the privilege to stand up against their employer," she explained.
"There's lots that people can do to support the cause without protesting in person. Social media is an amazing tool to hold brands accountable.
"Anytime you see a brand greenwashing, call them out and ask them questions like, 'How much did you pay the person who made this?'
"Try and learn as much as you can about the topic and send it far and wide. Host a book club with your friends, a documentary screening or swap shop."
Speaking about the protestors' response from boohoo, Venetia said: "Source Fashion have turned off comments on their Instagram post and boohoo have denied all claims that we have made - which we have obviously fact checked - and they say we're entitled to our opinion."
A spokesperson for boohoo told the Mirror: "We attend events like Source Fashion to share insights from the work we are doing to reduce our environmental impact, embed our responsible purchasing principles and our quality assurance programme.
"The challenge of sustainability affects the whole fashion industry and no single brand or government agency will be able to solve these problems on their own.
"That is why we will continue to partner with other retailers, government and NGOs, through initiatives like Textiles 2030, and share insights wherever we can, to help find solutions to these shared problems."
You can visit The Or Foundation for more information on ethical fashion and greenwashing.
