The Rolling Stones are looking to back out of a partnership with fast-fashion brand Shein after recently learning about the various labor abuse claims against the retailer.
According to Fortune, Shein recently launched a collection honoring the band’s 60th anniversary. However, just before the collection’s launch, the U.K’s Channel 4 aired a report detailing how two of Shein’s factories in China had workers putting in 18-hour days for seven days a week. Additionally, these workers reportedly had only one day off per month and were paid literally pennies per garment they assembled.
A spokesperson for the Stones told Fortune, “We do not want to be associated with Shein, having been made aware of the recent revelations about the treatment of workers in its supply chain.” The licensing deal between Shein and Universal Music Group’s Bravado International Group Merchandising Services has reportedly “been terminated effective immediately.”
When Fortune reached out to Shein for comment on their story involving the Rolling Stones collection, the company said, in part, “Shein takes the welfare of workers at its suppliers extremely seriously and does not tolerate forced labor.”
Shein added, “Our Supplier Code of Conduct is aligned with International Labour Organization core conventions, all local laws and regulations, with penalties that include the termination of business partnership for those suppliers and manufacturers who do not remediate their practices. Through the Shein Responsible Sourcing Programme, we work with leading agencies to conduct ongoing, unannounced audits of our supply chain, which have confirmed no forced labor violations.”
