“They don’t care.”
The UK fashion industry is broken.
In 2025, Transform Trade studied how fashion brands from the UK and beyond treat their suppliers in India.
The findings were published in the new Wearing Thin report.
The results are damning - and point to a sector in dire need of reform.
Of the 198 garment suppliers we surveyed…
reported brands not adjusting for minimum wage increases.
81%
said orders were cancelled after agreeing a contract with a brand
53%
reported brands insisting on discounts after entering into contracts.
44%
Here’s what the suppliers said about fashion brands…
“When we take an order, we lock in the costs – fabric, labour, logistics. If they cancel, we bear the loss. They don’t care.”
— Anonymous supplier, India
“They can delay payment whenever they want. And if we protest, they will say, ‘We will reconsider working with you in the future.’”
— Anonymous supplier, India
We need a Fashion Watchdog.
Make sure your MP gets the message
The Government must introduce a Fashion Watchdog.
This would make sure the people who make our clothes are treated fairly by introducing penalties for brands that don’t pay on time and mislead their suppliers.
MPs all across the House of Commons are supportive - and we’re gaining momentum.
Ask your MP to back the people who make your clothes and support the Fashion Watchdog here.
Read the report.
Click below to download Wearing Thin, the full report into just how badly brands from the UK and beyond are treating the people who make their clothes - and how a Fashion Watchdog would fix the industry.
