There may be new cases of labor exploitation in the fashion industry. On Tuesday it was announced that the Milan prosecutor’s office had ordered an urgent judicial review for two Italian clothing companies: Dama Spa, owner of the Paul & Shark brand, and Alberto Aspesi Spa. The investigation is part of an investigation into suspected labor exploitation.
According to Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor, the accused in the investigation by prosecutors Paolo Storari and Daniela Bartolucci also includes manager Andrea Dini, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dama. The company is also being investigated for administrative liability of corporations.
Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor quotes from the investigative decree: “With regard to the luxury fashion brands, the audits carried out revealed that both Dama Spa and Aspesi Spa have a general lack of organizational models” as well as “a flawed internal audit system”.
“Codes of ethics and management and control models are worthless if, in order to achieve the greatest possible profit at the lowest cost, a production system based on the exploitation of labor is allowed,” emphasized the Milan prosecutor’s office.
This contradicts the declaration of intent signed on May 26, 2025 in the Prefecture of Milan. The signing was attended by the most representative trade unions and employers’ associations at national level. The aim of the agreement is to ensure compliance with laws in the fashion industry’s production chain.
Recently, at a conference in Milan, Paolo Storari commented on corporate policies and organizational models that need to change. These changes are not only necessary to prevent managers from committing crimes, but are also intended to avoid favoring actors in the supply chain who operate under exploitative working conditions.
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