The groundswell of support continues to grow for legislation that would outlaw unpaid internships in all industries, including fashion. And yesterday on NPR, listeners chimed in on why.

In a story that could have been on The Devil Wears Prada cutting-room floor, a listener wrote in to Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan with this anecdote:

A friend’s daughter worked as intern for a famous fashion designer and had to run errands all over New York City. On one of the outings, someone on a subway burned a cigarette into the intern’s arm.

When she got back to the designer’s office, she got scolded for taking too long – no sympathy for the incident on the train, no reimbursement for the subway, no money for the internship. Needless to say, she quit.

Certainly most of us would. If a stipend is not possible, covering work expenses for interns at the very least should be mandatory.

Have any of you had a terrible unpaid internship? Get it off your chest (anonymously!) in the comments section.

As many of our readers know, we have very mixed feelings about American Apparel. On the one hand, its vertical integration model means all of its clothes are made in the USA and we admire the label’s commitment to designing with recycled and organic textiles. On the other, American Apparel’s advertising strategy could stand to objectify women less. (A lot less.)

Now we have another negative to add to Column B. On Gawker.com, a tipster leaked the company’s confidentiality agreement, which must be signed by all new hires and limits employees’ ability to report questionable behavior. From the legalese:

You understand that the Company is a high profile publicly traded company that is vulnerable from a media perspective. You also understand that that the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dov Charney, is considered an international business celebrity and has become one of the most recognized CEOs in the fashion industry. …

Further, you agree not to disparage the Company or Mr. Charney in public or online on blogs or any other similar media. Further, you understand and agree that all communications concerning Confidential Information in public, even with fellow employees of the Company, that are or reasonably could be overheard by a third party (e.g., and without limitation, in bars and restaurants) shall be deemed a breach of this Confidentiality Agreement. …

In the event of any breach by you (or your agents) of this Confidentiality Agreement, you shall pay as liquidated damages, and not as a penalty, the sum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) for each such breach, which the parties agree represents reasonable compensation for the harm incurred as a result of such breach.

The contract seems explicitly designed to protect Mr. Charney, who is no stranger to accusations of sexual harassment and unethical accounting practices. We can’t help but wonder what he has to hide if he’s willing to threaten his employees with a million-dollar penalty for speaking up.

Retailers know a trend when they see it. At least British department store Debenhams has jumped on the let’s-eschew-unrealistic-body-image bandwagon with its latest storefront ad, which clearly labels everywhere one of its swimsuit models has been airbrushed.

As Mark Woods, Debenhams’ creative and visual director told the Daily Mail:

‘As a responsible retailer we want to help customers make the most of their beauty without bombarding them with unattainable body images.

‘Our campaign is all about making women feel good about themselves – not eroding their self belief and esteem by using false comparisons.

‘Not only does it make sense from a moral point of view, it ticks the economic boxes as well. Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images.

‘As a rule we only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair and rely on the natural beauty of models to make our product look great.

Those retouched waists are always so obvious, anyway, since much of the time they are ergonomically impossible.

This, by the way, follows Debenhams’ well-received test run putting U.K. size 16 (U.S. size 12) mannequins in its shop front this past February. Progressive forward momentum, we say.

(via The Cut)

You all know by know that we’re fans of Brilliant Earth’s work to support sustainable and responsible jewelry making. Now the company is working to fight the horrifying consequences of the blood diamond trade in Zimbabwe — but they want your help.

Danielle from BrilliantEarth.com writes us:

Several years ago, following the global outcry against blood diamonds that led to the KP, Brilliant Earth was founded to pioneer a new way of doing business in the jewelry industry. Our idea was simple: to offer high-quality jewelry that is ethical and beneficial for all involved. As a retailer, we feel passionate about—and even responsible for—creating a more humane diamond industry.

To further our consumer educational campaigns, we have launched a petition on Change.org to give individuals an easy and effective way to add their voice to the call for Kimberley Process reform. To show our support and encourage consumer action, we will donate a dollar to communities harmed by the jewelry trade for every new signature up to $10,000!

Read the company’s Blood Diamonds Fact Sheet to bone up on recent developments in the trade of conflict gems first. Because only you can decide whether this is a cause you believe in.

Service Systems Associates (SSA), which operates gift shops in 28 zoos, aquariums, and museums across the country, has joined SeaWeb’s Too Precious to Wear Campaign, which seeks to end the use of endangered coral in fashion. Previously, coral jewelry could be found in SSA’s gift shops in 17 city zoos as well as the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hermann Park Conservancy, Pretend City Children’s Museum, and the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa.

According to a SeaWeb press release:

“SSA is committed to sustainability in every aspect of its operations, especially in the products we provide to consumers,” said Kevin McNicholas, president of SSA. “Making sure that real coral is left where it belongs—in the ocean—and not in our stores is important to us. We are proud to join forces with SeaWeb to raise awareness about threats facing corals and let customers know what they can do to help protect them.”

Others companies that have signed the pledge include Tiffany & Co., Lilly Pulitzer, Pottery Barn, Lela Rose, and Chantecaille.

Congrats to SeaWeb on its latest victory!

The Lazy Environmentalist returns to the TV this week, and the Los Angeles Times tells us we can look forward to another fashion-themed episode. (Last season, host Josh Dorfman interviewed a stylist who showed viewers ways to green their wardrobes while still looking hot-off-the-runway.)

Here’s a preview:

[T]he audience gets a front-row seat to the economic forces that dictate green trends, and the effects of our consumer choices. If that sounds boring, it’s not. One example audiences will see this season comes when Dorfman walks into the showroom of Los Angeles fashion designer Nony Tochterman, who relishes vibrant colors and rich, luxurious fabrics. Tochterman is not opposed to making her business more green — as long as it makes her more money.

And here’s where I think “The Lazy Environmentalist” excels: We get a 360-degree view of the issue, a nuanced approach that will keep you thinking long after the episode is over. We learn a bit about textiles, about how traditional fabrics and, in particular, vibrant colors can take a brutal toll on the environment with toxic dyes and the mind-boggling water usage. We also learn how eco-friendly fabrics, such as hemp, are superior in some categories and where they fall short: The colors tend to be more muted, dark and earthy. And the drape of the fabric is often stiff. Tochterman sees these fabrics and recoils. Customers just won’t go for it, she fears.

Curious how this issue will resolve itself? Tune into the Sundance Channel tonight at 8 p.m.

The sheep mulesing debate has been quietly raging on for ten years, and today a conglomeration of retailers including Macy’s, Nordstrom, Ann Taylor, and the Gap have signed a letter urging Australian wool farmers to come to a compromise with animal-rights groups pronto.

The letter reads:

“American retailers and brands take corporate social responsibility and ethical sourcing matters very seriously,” the letter states.

“At the same time, we understand that mulesing is a complex issue, and that finding an alternative would require a reasonable period of time to address.

“Thus, [Australian Wool Innovation's] decision to abandon the declaration and its internal problems this late in the game has left us in a very difficult position.

“Our companies cannot afford to put our credibility and brands at risk over disagreements regarding the propriety and effectiveness of particular animal-husbandry techniques, particularly at a time when apparel made from competing fabrics is on the rise in the US market.”

For a refresher on mulesing, check out our archives.

With support swelling for legislation that would require interns to be paid for their work, there’s a lot of debate surrounding the issue. And particularly in the design industry, the fashion world runs on unpaid internships.

Apparel companies often don’t pay their youngest workers because demand to get a foot in the door is so high, and opportunities are already limited. With thousands of aspiring designers willing to work for free in exchange for experience, why would a company choose to pay them?

Lauren Sherman for Fashionista.com writes:

Our industry, and most creative industries, rely on unpaid interns to make things happened. If we didn’t have unpaid assistants working on set, or in the office, magazines wouldn’t get published, film wouldn’t get developed, and fashion shows wouldn’t run so smoothly.

I know that, during my time in college, I did four internships, one of which I was paid a commission on sales that I closed. (It was at a boutique/art gallery.) However, the other three internships, which were in editorial, were unpaid. One landed me my first job out of college. Britt’s senior year internship also resulted in a job right out of school.

Any former (or current!) interns care to weigh in?

Our dear friend Summer Rayne Oakes can now add “designer” to her resume with the launch of her new tee-shirt for Yoox.com.

She created the organic cotton tee, which features two beetles locked in combat, in collaboration with Edun Live’s fair-trade factory in Lesotho. Of the design, she says:

“I’m an entomologist and raise exotic insects in my Williamsburg apartment, so naturally I’d love to do something that marries Brooklyn hipster vibe with entophilia.”

The tee-shirt is available in both men’s and women’s sizes. And 100% of the proceeds from the sales will support Green Cross International, a NGO initiative to promote awareness of environment issues.

Congrats to Summer on this latest achievement!

Edun Live Ever.Green Series #2, $39 at Yoox.com.

In the spirit of our February commenting contest, we want to draw attention to one of the many thoughtful messages we have received from E.S. readers over the past year and a half. (Yes, this week marks our 1.5 year anniversary!)

This one comes from Roe at YesHoneyChyle.com in response to our post about Aeropostale’s denim drive for Haiti:

Do you think Aeropostale is really doing something ethical or that they might be “charity-washing” themselves to gain more buyers and creating marketing ties in a country they didn’t have before (Haiti)? And if Aeropostale uses cheap sweat-shop labor to make their products and ships that product to a country without jeans, is it still considered benevolence?

It’s a great question.

In 2002, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale’s parent corporation, admitted it used sweatshop labor in its manufacturing and settled in a landmark $22-million class action lawsuit on behalf of factory workers in Saipan. Since then, allegations of unethical labor policies have quieted down, but it’s worth noting that Abercrombie’s history (and, by extension, Aeropostale’s) isn’t so squeaky clean.

We can certainly see the contradiction in a company sending relief supplies to one impoverished country while employing cheap labor in another. How about you? Do you think Aeropostale is sincere in its campaign to help Haitians?