Versace Jeans Under Fire on Facebook

Italian luxury brand Versace has deactivated its Facebook wall after commenters used the webpage to post messages of protest.

Versace deleted comments and then disabled fan posting all together after an online campaign brought the brand’s jean sandblasting technique under scrutiny.

According to Change.org, sandblasting is a process that endangers garment workers and has resulted in deaths in Bangladesh and Turkey. The technique involves firing sand at jean material under very high pressure. Workers who inhale the silica particles in the air can develop a fatal pulmonary disease.

Versace has been targeted by labor groups and asked to remove sandblasted denim from their collections. Several other brands, including Gucci, Levi’s and H&M have already stopped selling sandblasted denim.

Versace’s director of communications claims that Versace’s denim is manufactured in Italy in accordance with the country’s safety regulations.