Cecilia Zadig

"When Cecilia Zadig finds the subcontractor's factory in a small village outside Manila, it turns out to be a completely different standard here than at the larger factories. In cramped and dirty premises, young women sit by large piles of H&M clothes. This is where the green and white polo shirt is actually sewn. A woman named Angelina Nico sits at one of the knitting machines doing the monotonous work. She has brought her little daughter, who is sleeping on a pile of t-shirts. Angelina Nico works seven days a week, often from 8 am to midnight. And she often sleeps over at the factory. She earns only twenty crowns a day, which is not enough for more than food for the family. The house that she bought when she had a higher salary from another factory stands half-finished and overgrown because she lacks money. The young Filipina is exhausted from work. Cecilia Zadig shows her the issue of the magazine Månadsjournalen that has Stefan Persson and Erling Persson on the cover. Both are wearing suits and looking confidently into the camera. "Secret and Rich," is the headline. When Angelina Nico learns that these are the men she works for, she pleads with them to help her with money for her children's education. She herself will never escape a life of poverty, but her highest wish is for her daughter to have a better future. But Zadig's report doesn't end there. It turns out that this textile factory in turn hires subcontractors to be able to keep the prices offered by H&M. They are called home workers, working for even less money. And those who work the cheapest are the children."

"On December 29, 1997, the documentary Latest Fashion – At What Cost? is broadcast during prime time. Immediately after the scene with the tearful Filipino seamstress, the phone rings at Cecilia Zadig's home. A wealthy businessman offers to pay for the education of the seamstress's daughter. Above all, it is the discovery of child labor that causes an uproar. The industry magazine Resumé conducts a survey showing that one in three Swedes plans to shop less at H&M."