Figs ‘does not condone unethical working conditions of any kind’
Figs, which had revenues of nearly $120m (£94.2m) in the first quarter of this year, received its first batch of clothes from Needle Craft in December, according to US customs data shared by the Worker Rights Consortium, which lobbies for stronger labour protections.
Figs has imported 23 shipments of clothing made by Needle Craft since allegations against the manufacturer were published in April, the records show. It is not known which of Needle Craft’s three factories in Zarqa, Jordan, produced them.
Figs specialises in high-end gowns for healthcare workers but also sells casualwear such as fleeces and hoodies. It has been called “the Lululemon of scrubs”, referring to the athleisure brand credited with transforming functional exercise gear into a highly profitable fashion trend.
It signed a deal in May to provide outfits for more than 250 medics helping Team USA athletes at the Paris Games, and the next Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028. This has allowed it to sell a Team USA range to the public, including branded jackets on sale for £238 in the UK and $198 in the US.
It has also sponsored a heart-rate monitor used by American broadcasters to see how the parents of athletes react while watching their children compete in the Games.
Challenged about Figs’s continued use of Needle Craft since i‘s investigation, the firm’s CEO and co-founder Trina Spear said: “Figs does not condone unethical working conditions of any kind and was shocked to hear of the allegations against Needle Craft.
“We have begun transitioning away from Needle Craft as a supplier, and will complete this transition as quickly as we can in a responsible manner,” she said. This exit will follow “ethical, fair and transparent business practices that support the wellbeing of its workers.”
Ms Spear added that suppliers have “non-negotiable commitments to act ethically and with social responsibility in how our products are made, to support the human rights of all workers in our supply chain, and to not tolerate any form of mistreatment.
“We will ensure that its workers are provided with adequate notice and will work collaboratively to drive systemic change relating to their human rights and mental health. We also plan to set up a local donation-based initiative to support the human rights of garment workers in Jordan.”
It is understood that Figs had vetted Needle Craft through visits to the manufacturer, and took confidence that other major companies used the group.
But Dominique Muller, policy lead at Labour Behind the Label, a campaign group which first informed i of allegations against Needle Craft, accused Figs of “duplicity” for only acting months after allegations were made public.
Figs “should be ashamed of failing to identify these in the first place and finally of simply cutting and running from the factory, leaving the workers to pay the price,” said Ms Muller.
“Figs states that it undertook a vetting process before placing orders – and yet, like the other US brands sourcing from Needle Craft, these procedures either failed to uncover the alleged endemic abuses in the factory or were simply ignored. Due to the secrecy of the auditing industry, we may never know.”
Scott Nova, executive director of the Worker Rights Consortium, said: “A responsible buyer would use its leverage to protect workers, by offering the prospect of continued business, but conditioning it on fundamental improvements in Needle Craft’s treatment of workers.”