Fashion Nova the Target of Dol Investigation

Fashion Nova is a clothing company based in California that markets itself as a brand that any woman can wear. Most of the items that the company produces are advertised by influencers on social media. The brand has 17 million followers on Instagram, and those followers include celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Iggy Azalea. However, a New York Times report provided details into a Department of Labor investigation of Fashion Nova.

The investigation reportedly found that the company paid workers as little as $2.77 per hour. One woman claimed that she had been paid just $270 after working for 60 hours in a Los Angeles factory. It has also been alleged that the company uses undocumented workers, which makes it harder for those people to defend themselves. A legal representative for Fashion Nova said that the company has been in discussions with the DOL about the issues raised during its investigation.

The representative said that the company was committed to paying its workers fairly and would continue to do so. Fashion Nova says that it plans to shift more of its production from Los Angeles to locations in foreign countries. The company says that it made less than half of its clothing in Los Angeles in 2019. In 2018, the company said that it made about 80% of its clothing in that city.

According to the California Employer/Labor Blog, companies are not allowed to have hiring practices or other policies that violate state law. For instance, employers cannot pay employees less than the applicable minimum wage. Those who believe that an employer has violated the law may want to speak with an attorney.