Dear Editor,
I read Tony Paterson's Postcard from Cologne (16th May) and do agree that the fashion craze for "waifs on catwalks" is exploitative brainwashing. But one point that needs to be added is that just two weeks ago a Primark opened its doors here in Cologne and was promptly stormed by a public eager to get its hands on those cut-price goods. This is one more retailer to add to the list of many who buy in their wares from exploitative sources (as previously reported by The Independent).
So while we need to defend our youth from distorted and exploitative advertising, let's also spare a moment to remember those who have died in factory disasters (for example in Bangladesh) and who continue to toil in sweat-shop conditions ... in order to enable us to be able to buy knick-knacks on a whim and to kit ourselves out for just a "handful of euros" (or pounds or dollars)!
Regards
