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'Responsibly made' luxury brand Salon 1884 ran Garment District sweatshop, DA says
By
Samantha Max
Published Jun 17, 2026
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Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for rag & bone
By
Samantha Max
Published Jun 17, 2026
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New York City-based luxury clothing brand Salon 1884 describes itself as “responsibly made with environmentally conscious materials” on its sleek, minimalist website.
But the Manhattan district attorney’s office is accusing the label’s owner, Andrea Marshall, of running a sweatshop in the Garment District, exploiting her employees and stealing more than $50,000 in wages over the last three years. Marshall, 44, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of grand larceny, scheming to defraud, failing to secure compensation and failing to pay wages in accordance with labor laws. Prosecutors are pursuing the same charges against her company.
Marshall took advantage of at least nine workers who were vulnerable and “in desperate need of the dollars” for housing and other living costs, but who didn’t have the resources to pursue legal recourse, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said at a press conference Wednesday.
“If you take advantage of workers, we will seek accountability,” he said. “Hardworking New Yorkers should be paid, not exploited.”
Along with “grueling hours,” workers experienced “a culture marked by volatility, fear and manipulation,” Bragg said, adding that Marshall would “berate workers and scream at them.” He said the investigation is ongoing and encouraged victims to reach out to his office.
Marshall faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, Bragg said. Salon 1884 did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Marshall’s attorney, Corey Briskin, said in a text message he is “confident that the truth will prevail and that my client will be vindicated” after a thorough investigation.
Marshall launched Salon 1884 in 2021 to combine her fine art and fashion design skills, according to the brand’s website, which also says the label’s name is an homage to a Parisian art exhibition.
“With a focus on exceptional craftsmanship and sustainable practices, each collection is designed for the modern woman and her unique approach to style,” the website states. “Salon 1884 is bold yet subtle, strong yet sensual, contemporary yet timeless.”
Celebrities including Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes and Julia Roberts have sported the luxury label, which sells leggings for $490 and a lambskin long jacket for $4,990. A get-up described as a “Valtese Geometric Chantilly Lace Dress” retailed for $6,490, according to the DA’s office. Salon 1884, based on West 39th Street in the Garment District, sells its clothing through high-end retailers including Neiman Marcus, Moda Operandi and Net-A-Porter.
Cynthia Erivo wearing Salon 1884 to an appearance on the 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on November 19, 2025, according to press reports and a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney. .
Photo by DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Prosecutors accused Marshall of forcing employees to work excessive hours and overnight shifts. Seamstresses sometimes labored for 12 to 17 hours straight, and in at least two cases an employee worked more than 100 hours in a single week, the DA’s office said.
Marshall, who set the workers’ schedules and required them to clock in and out, delayed payments or offered substitutes like partial payments and clothing instead of wages, according to the DA’s office. Some workers brought their complaints to small claims court and received judgments, but Marshall still failed to pay them back, prosecutors said.
In their announcement of the indictment, prosecutors cited text messages employees sent to Marshall seeking payment for their work. One asked for just half of her wages, saying she needed to send money to her kids in Ecuador.
“I really need it, miss, please help,” the woman said in her message, according to the DA’s office.
Text messages between Marshall and employees.
Courtesy, Manhattan DA’s office.
Marshall used similar tactics with independent contractors, prosecutors said. She repeatedly told modeling agencies, a pattern maker and a hair stylist that she would pay them, then failed to fork up the money after multiple requests and legal demands.
The DA’s office accused Marshall of not carrying workers’ compensation insurance, which she was legally required to do to protect her employees in case they got hurt on the job. Bragg said she also did not register the business with the Department of Labor.
Tagged
economy
labor
manhattan
public safety
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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