In 2017 I shared a documentary by Marie Maurice & Premieres Lignes which revealed the ugly truth behind fast fashion giant H&M. The investigation took us on a deep dive into what really goes on behind the scenes of multibillion dollar H&M: from the workshops in Bangladesh and Ethiopia to the strategic fiscal optimization in Europe – all controlled by brutal management practices aimed at silencing any protesting voices.
Sadly H&M, with their unlimited funds and swarm of lawyers, managed to get the documentary taken down and sued the filmmakers, production company and broadcaster for defamation.
Fantastic News!
The French courts have ruled in favour of facts and evidence! After 5 long years in court H&M lost their case against Premieres Lignes (& Canal +) and the documentary is once again available online. This is a landmark ruling considering how many unethical brands and companies manage to obstruct and even destroy the important investigative work of independent journalists and filmmakers.
2021 Update: Regardless of the court ruling, the company that reached out to me to report this story and share the re-uploaded the video to their channel has been forced to remove it again as one of their clients has an “agreement” with H&M.
Watch and share this compelling documentary far and wide!
Check out the full article detailing the lengthy court battle below (translated from French):
Disclaimer: I am not at all an expert on the big business of fast fashion however I am a concerned consumer who has chosen to learn & share as much as I can through my own personal experiences & the wealth of resources available online.
