A “Made in Italy” clothing label suggests peak craftsmanship to shoppers around the world, helping luxury brands charge a premium for anything bearing the tag. But an investigation by the New York Times (paywall) reveals that some Italian workers making these items could be doing so in home workshops for staggeringly low pay.

One woman the Times spoke with was in the process of stitching a wool coat for the label MaxMara that could cost well over €1,000 (about $1,175) in a store. She earned €1 for every meter of fabric she finishes from the factory that hired her, which also produces outerwear for labels such as Louis Vuitton and Fendi...

Beyond the low pay, these workers generally don’t have insurance, or any way to address issues like being paid late, or not at all. Often they’re women, who may need the work to survive while being able to stay home and care for children...

A spokesperson for MaxMara told the Times it was unaware of any of its suppliers using homeworkers. “MaxMara considers an ethical supply chain a key component of the company’s core values reflected in our business practice,” it said in a statement.... LVMH declined to comment...