Accreditation body Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) has targeted fashion brand Sportscraft over the brand's decision to manufacture its Paris 2024 Australian Olympic Team uniforms in China, with the peak body arguing the uniforms should have been made in Australia.
“Not only does this divest away from local jobs and businesses, it also means there is less transparency around the conditions in which people have been employed to make these garments,” ECA national manager Rachel Reilly claimed.
“Australia has a vibrant local textile, clothing and footwear industry which employs nearly half a million people and generates $27 billion to the local economy annually. We have the skills, the technology and the knowledge to produce these garments right here on our own shores.
“Many of the local Australian businesses who are capable of manufacturing the Olympic uniforms have also voluntarily opted to undertake Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation, ensuring their complete local supply chain has been audited to confirm the labour and social rights of employees are protected,” Reilly continued.
“These are the types of businesses we should all be supporting and choosing, and who deserve to be making our Olympic uniforms. It’s disappointing to know that, as our Australian athletes represent us on the global stage, they are not wearing garments that have been ethically made in Australia.”
Sportscraft responded in a statement saying the retailer has always been transparent that the Olympic Uniform was designed in Australia and manufactured offshore, and that its decision to make in China was due to the brand being able to leverage its existing and long-standing manufacturing partners.
“For 25 plus years, the business has been working with these partners to ensure the premium quality and consistency of expert fits that the brand is renowned for with full transparency and compliance to responsible standards for Sportscraft’s production,” the statement read.
“The uniforms are a three-year long project that is complex and multi layered, requiring the production of over 100 sizes in addition to standard sizing, as well as custom sleeve and body length variations and a range of made to measure bespoke items.
“To ensure Sportscraft keep the trust and confidence of the entire Australian Olympic team of athletes and officials that they dress, the business works with their own employees and quality controllers in their own offices that are based in these countries of manufacture.”
Australian-owned wholesaler and local manufacturer Buckle has also weighed in, saying local manufacturers are up to the task.
"While offshore production may offer cost advantages, it often comes at the expense of quality and overlooks the benefits of supporting local manufacturing,” Buckle director Melissa Gibson said.
"While the scale of manufacturing can present logistical challenges, we firmly believe that Australian manufacturers are up to the task. Investing in local production is not only feasible but essential for maintaining the integrity and quality of our Olympic uniforms, and inspiring pride and confidence.”
This debate comes as a 2022 report by Australian Fashion Council found that 1.5 per cent of total Australian manufacturing is clothing and textiles manufacturing, with less than 5 per cent of Australian garments manufactured here.
ECA is an accreditation body working with local textile, clothing and footwear businesses to uphold the rights of Australian garment workers.
The Paris 2024 Olympics will also see Australian-based footwear brand Volley provide footwear for the Australian Olympic Team, with luggage brand July supplying bags.