Behind the Glitter : Child Labour in Mica Mining

With their beautiful shopfronts and finely crafted goods, brands like Gucci, Max Mara, Louis Vuitton and Prada are seen as being the height of luxury, conjuring images of master craftsmen finely crafting each item. But - as this investigation reveals - behind the glamorous exterior, all that glitters is not gold. In the world of luxury goods, leather means record-breaking profits. For brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, over 70% of their profits comes from leather goods. But where does this luxurious leather come from? Most of the raw material is tanned in a small region in Tuscany, where the heavy, difficult work is subcontracted out to immigrants. Temperatures in the factories can reach 45єC and the workers - many on short term contracts - are often exploited and mistreated. We hear from workers who were seriously injured at work and then attacked for daring to complain. Then there’s fur, the other iconic luxury material. Nowadays, most fur comes from China, where 70 million animals are