Luxury brands face labor scrutiny as Milan fashion weighs costs

Italian authorities are turning their attention to the labor practices of luxury brands at the top of the fashion food chain, following allegations of cheap labor and exploitation, CBS News reported on Saturday. The investigation targets a sector that is central to Italy's economy and to Milan's identity as a global fashion capital.

The allegations strike at the heart of a supply chain that has long been celebrated for its artisanal quality and made-in-Italy prestige. Foreign press coverage has increasingly questioned whether the glossy facade of Italian luxury masks a darker reality of subcontracting, low wages and precarious work, particularly in the workshops and ateliers that feed the industry's biggest names.