When global brands source from China or Bangladesh, some ethical issues are involved. Brands save money by making clothes in substandard conditions overseas instead of paying higher wages at home. Children make garments or stitch sequins. Sequins have been the focus of a number of investigations into child labor practices. While there are machines that can perform the delicate task of sewing sequins onto fabric, they are costly and, if the finished product is to be sold cheaply, rarely purchased by overseas manufacturers. Instead, the task is often given to women or to children, whose tiny fingers apparently mean they work faster than adults.

Fashion behemoths like H&M and Zara share the same manufacturing bases, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia or Cambodia. But a lot of clothing companies won't include the place of manufacture on the collar tag. Multiple garments labeled as made in New Zealand, for instance, are manufactured in China or Bangladesh.

Global fast fashion giants have hollowed out artisanal manufacturing worldwide. Global luxury brands have retained their value by dictating where their products are made. Such practices are now being considered unethical and their products are no longer considered luxury or even desirable.