Versace supports abolition of jeans sandblasting technique

Italian fashion giant Versace has declared its support to an international drive against sandblasting of jeans, a technique greatly used in the developing nations to give a fashionable faded look to jeans.
The technique of sandblasting is greatly condemned as it is considered perilous to the health of the workers, who become prone to an acute form of silicosis, which has claimed life of many workers.
Versace said that the controversial technique was not being used by any of its suppliers and that it is now a part of a global campaign aimed at completely discouraging the use of sandblasting technique as an industry practice.
The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) a group of non-governmental organisations and trade unions working for improving the working conditions in the textile industry had earlier asked Versace to eliminate the use of sandblasting technique.
Following an exhaustive campaign, the Italian fashion giant declared that it would engage with other denim producers from across the globe to carry forward this campaign, seeking a total elimination of sandblasting as an industry practice.
Versace, which initially turned down the call to join the campaign, broke its silence after many months and consented to the elimination of the practice of sandblasting, the CCC said.
The CCC, which was instituted last year, said that several leading brands have engaged sandblasting operators in countries such as China, Mexico, Bangladesh and Egypt.
The CCC campaign has already found support from leading brands like Gucci, Pepe Jeans, Levi-Strauss, Burberry, Replay, Benetton and Carrera Jeans.