Walking through the halls of AHS, one will see an eager competition of name brand clothes, shoes and accessories. The North Face, Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas and Vera Bradley are among the most over-exposed brands. Teens in school have begun to learn more about fashion than anything found in textbooks, but there is one thing that still remains a mystery. Who exactly produces these brand name labels?

“I don’t know who makes my clothes or where they’re from, but I don’t really think about that. I would think they are manufactured,” freshman Austin Hall said.

The Organic Consumers Association reports that after being exposed, major clothing companies such as Gap and Nike have admitted to knowledge of worker exploitation and abuse and have made a promise to turn the sweatshop environment around.

Gap, a large chain clothing company with stores nationwide, including a location in Tyson’s Mall, has pleaded guilty to charges of substandard and dangerous work environments for those who produce their goods. It has been discovered that the said severe working conditions for the company consist of child labor, 80-hour weeks and labor to the extent of slavery in Mexico, China, India and Russia. Gap has since discontinued its contracts with these factories.

Nike, another worldwide clothing powerhouse, that specializes in sports wear and shoes, was exposed for its poor factory working conditions in Indonesia and Thailand. Workers who have been victimized by the sweatshop environment have come forward with their complaints about poor working conditions, poor pay, dangers that have resulted in the loss of worker’s limbs and work weeks that exceed 77 hours. Nike has since provided a list with details concerning approximately 700 factories and organized a task force to monitor the meeting of pay, hours and working conditions.

There are sweatshop factories dispersed throughout several countries, with extremely low wages that leave workers in poverty. According to data from an independent organization focused on the issue, China, where a vast majority of brand labels like Abercrombie and Fitch and Vera Bradley are made, has an average hourly rate of 44 cents for apparel workers.

The same organization also noted the severely low wages of sweatshop workers. Indonesia, whose workers produce goods for Adidas and Nike, has its minimum wage set at 34 cents an hour. In Vietnam, American Eagle Outfitter’s main country of production, workers receive only 24 cents an hour. That leaves 16.6 percent of China’s sweatshop workers, 7.5 percent of Indonesia’s and 17.7 percent of Vietnam to live on one dollar a day. Just because a brand has its products made in these countries does not mean sweatshops are being used, however there is still very poor pay and treatment of workers in countries like these by factory owners.

“I’m not familiar with any sweatshops. If I knew a brand used them, I would not buy their clothes. It’s so wrong that they are doing that!” sophomore Roya Ansary said.