Cheap chic unethical and 'boring', says former Topshop guru

The woman who turned Topshop into a temple to cheap chic has risked the wrath of her former boss, Sir Philip Green, by warning of an impending "backlash" against fast fashion.

Jane Shepherdson, who resigned as Topshop's brand director just days after the news broke that Kate Moss was to design a range for the chain, said it was "getting a bit boring" for people to find their wardrobes full of "cheap rubbish".

She said: "We should always question if something is very, very cheap and think that if you, the consumer, aren't paying for it, then someone, somewhere down the line, is paying."

Her remarks risk being interpreted as a thinly veiled dig against Topshop, which has done more to drive down the cost of shopping for fashionistas on a budget than any retailer except for Asda's George brand. One in every [pound]4 spent on clothes in Britain goes on bargain fashion, and Top-shop helped fuel that trend.

Ms Shepherdson, who has kept a low profile since leaving Topshop late last year, has popped up on the board of the ethical fashion label People Tree. Her decision to join the brand that peddles clothes with a conscience marks her return to the high street, albeit in a part-time capacity.

People Tree, which sells clothes made from organic and often Fairtrade cotton, made its Oxford Street debut at Selfridges and also has a concession at Top-shop's flagship store down the road. Its sales are growing by 40 per cent a year, but are at risk of losing out to the rash of rival ethical labels flooding the high street such as Edun, the brainchild of Bono's wife, Ali Hewson.

All of the biggest retailers, from Marks & Spencer to Tesco, are desperate to carve out a slice of the lucrative eco-fashion niche. M&S recently became the biggest retailer of Fairtrade cotton on the high street, accounting for about a third of the world's supply.

"People are starting to feel responsible. Most retailers have realised that they have to look at what's happening. The process has started," Ms Shepherdson said. Campaign groups such as No Sweat and Labour Behind the Label are piling pressure on retailers by exposing companies that fail to pay enough attention to workers' rights.

As well as sitting on People Tree's advisory board, Ms Shepherdson is charged with injecting some more "funk" into the brand's ranges. "The clothes need to be more exciting, more directional, so they stand for something [other than saving the planet]."

TopShop joined the ethical bandwagon a year ago, bringing in People Tree as a concession alongside two other Fairtrade companies, Hug and Gossypium.

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