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Diesel

OVERALL

Owned
ITA
Rating
Criticisms

Clothing

CEO and owner Renzo Rosso founded Diesel in 1978. Diesel makes modish men's and women's casual wear, sportswear and kids' clothes. Its name is licensed to makers of jewellery, watches, leather goods (handbags, wallets), eyewear, fragrances and footwear. Diesel's products are sold in more than 80 countries.

Company Ownership

Diesel SpA   ITA     website         
  OTB SpA   
   owns 100% of Diesel SpA  
ITA     website   email   facebook   

Holding company

Owned by Renzo Rosso, founder of fashion label Diesel. OTB (Only the Brave) is a holding company incorporating Diesel, 55DSL, Staff International and controlling stakes in Maison Martin Margiela and Viktor and Rolf. OTB has a foundation aimed at ending world poverty.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Diesel SpA
Animals Animal Testing
This company appears on PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, USA) 'Companies That Do Test On Animals' list, signifying that they manufacture products that are tested on animals at some stage of development.
Source: PETA (2022)
Business Ethics 7/100 in Fashion Transparency Index
The 2022 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 7%, signifying it has little to no information about their supply chain practices or policies available to the public. The average score was 24% and the highest score was 78%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2022)
Environment No Detox commitment
Greenpeace launched their Detox Campaign in 2011 to expose the direct links between global clothing brands, their suppliers and toxic water pollution around the world. As a result, many companies have joined Greenpeace's Detox Program, which requires companies to adopt a credible, individual and public commitment to phase out the use and release of all toxic chemicals from their global supply chain and products, by 1 January 2020. This company is yet to make a commitment despite pressure from Greenpeace.
Source: Greenpeace (2016)
Social Breaching advertising codes
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2011 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about a billboard by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2011)
Social Sandblasting
This company claims they will soon stop ordering for sandblasted jeans, but haven't publicly banned it yet. Sandblasting is a dangerous and deadly process which involves workers firing sand at jeans under high pressure. It has been known to kill workers within months as the inhalation of large amounts of silica dust generated during sandblasting causes silicosis, a potentially lethal pulmonary disease.
Source: Clean Clothes Campaign (2012)
Social Worker exploitation in India
Maid in India', a 2012 report by two Dutch NGOs (SOMO and ICN) revealed how workers in the South Indian garment and textile industry continue to suffer exploitative working conditions while making garments for Western brands. While some recent improvements have been made, thousands of girls work under recruitment and employment schemes that amount to bonded labour. This company was shown to be sourcing from one or more of the four garment manufacturers investigated, and failed to respond to a review request. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: SOMO (2012)
Animals Fur free
This company has announced that they don't sell animal fur or are phasing in a fur-free policy.
Source: Humane Society (2019)
Business Ethics Better Cotton Initiative member
This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary program which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Source: Better Cotton Initiative (2022)
Social Controversial marketing
Diesel's controversial 2007 "Global Warming Ready" advertising campaign, which supposedly was supposed to raise awareness on the problem of global warming, depicts the global warming as opportunity for young and fabulous to continue their glamorous lifestyles. Opinions on the purpose of this campaign varied from shocking but educational to trivializing and harmful.
Source: The Inspiration Room (2007)
Social BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)
OTB SpA
Social 0% in Sustainable Cotton Ranking
The 2020 Sustainable Cotton Ranking, published by WWF, Solidaridad and the Pesticide Action Network UK analysed the 77 largest cotton users among international apparel brands and retailers, reviewing their policies, actual uptake of more sustainable cotton and transparency in their supply chains. According to the report, this company is "not yet started" with a score of 0%. The average score was 18.2% and the highest score was 79.2%.
Source: Sustainable Cotton Ranking (2020)
Business Ethics Only the Brave Foundation
This not-for-profit organization was founded in Italy in 2008. It is the foundation of the Only The Brave Group. The foundation came to life with the purpose of redressing the balance of disadvantaged young people in its local region in North East Italy. As the foundation developed, the main focus shifted to Africa.
Source: Only The Brave Foundation (2020)
Business Ethics Leather Working Group member
This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
Source: Leather Working Group (2022)
Business Ethics The Fashion Pact member
This company is a member of The Fashion Pact, a global initiative of companies in the fashion and textile industry (ready-to-wear, sport, lifestyle and luxury) including their suppliers and distributors, all committed to a common core of key environmental goals in three areas: stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans.
Source: The Fashion Pact (2022)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Private company

Contact Details

Address Molvena, Vicenza, Italy
Website www.diesel.com

Products / Brands

Diesel
Diesel Womens Fashion
Diesel Menswear (casual)
Diesel Denim


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