Luxury clothing brand owner accused of running sweatshop in NYC, Manhattan DA says
The owner of a luxury clothing brand is accused of running a sweatshop in New York City, the Manhattan District Attorney said Wednesday.
Andrea Marshall, 44, is accused of exploiting her employees and stealing tens of thousands of dollars from their wages over about three years. She also allegedly did not have workers' compensation insurance for her staff.
The DA's office said Marshall founded the garment manufacturing company Salon 1884 LLC on West 39th Street in Manhattan in 2021, and the company sold high-end garments through luxury retailers and online platforms. Some products highlighted by the DA's office included a lace dress selling for $6,490, a suitcoat for $4,950, and a slip skirt for $1,090.
According to the DA's office, Marshall's seamstresses routinely worked more than 40 hours a week, including overnight shifts and shifts lasting 12-17 hours, and in at least two instances, employees worked over 100 hours in a week.
Marshall, a Boston-area native who now lives in Queens, allegedly repeatedly failed to pay her workers or gave them only partial payments. Employees were paid through Zelle, checks or cash. The DA's office said Marshall sometimes offered workers free clothes instead of paychecks.
"What makes it a sweatshop? No workers compensation insurance, which is a key part of our law designed to protect employees in the event of a work-related injury," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, adding, "Not registering the business with the Department of Labor, and the long, grueling hours with little pay or no pay at all."
The DA's office said Marshall failed to pay a total of $54,000 to nine workers for approximately 924 hours of labor between August 2023 and June 2026.
Marshall and her company, Salon 1884 LLC, have both been charged with grand larceny, scheme to defraud, effect of failure to secure compensation, and failure to pay wages in accordance with the labor law.
CBS News New York reached out to the company for comment but has not yet heard back.
