Central and Eastern Europe: An Invisible Sewing Shop

Developed countries started to outsource labour-intensive production processes to lower-cost countries decades ago such as the ones belonging to Central Eastern Europe, where subcontracting became significant from the 1950s. During the past few years, tendencies of relocation came to the fore and received a fresh boost because of the economic situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The growing need for shorter supply chains creates a noteworthy situation in the region’s fashion industry. But we have to make a difference between the ‘headquarter’ country of the brand and the actual country of origin: even if luxury products are made here, the relations in production remain hidden.