Top apparel brands fail quality tests in China

Top apparel brands fail quality tests in China

As many as 13 international fashion clothing brands including Lacoste, Diesel and H&M have failed quality tests in China conducted by the Shanghai government's market regulator. They have been judged sub-standard on different counts including use of dyes that cause skin allergies.

The quality problems included poor color fastness, sub-standard fiber content and a high pH index. Dyes used in cloth with poor color fastness can be harmful to the skin while those with a high pH index can cause skin allergies and make people vulnerable to bacteria, said the agency, who conducted the quality checks.

This is the first time that so many international fashion brands have been found to have violated quality tests conducted by the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau. The findings suggest that either the tests were extremely stringent or the foreign brands have been slack about maintaining quality in their competition against low-cost Chinese brands. The regulator did not mention if any local brands have been tested.

Citing specific cases, the regulator said a batch of long skirts of American Apparel failed tests for poor wet rubbing color fastness, a high pH index and slippage. Another two batches of its trousers were found short in fiber content. A batch of clothes from Diesel had poor color fastness to light while a batch of Lacoste skirts was found to have poor color fastness. The regulator also listed other well known brands - Moussy, Trussardi, Tommy Hilfiger, Desigual, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Teenie Weenie, Jack & Jones and Lanvin - among those that failed quality tests.