Coats, jackets and pants made by 17 international brands failed quality inspections yesterday at some of Shanghai's priciest malls.

The problems ranged from high concentrations of a potentially dangerous chemical to shoddy dyes, according to the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau.

The brands in question included Burberry, MaxMara, Dior, Armani, Zara and Ermengildo Zegna. Sub-par samples were being sold in over 10 department stores, including Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road, Gateway Mall in Xujiahui, Les Charmes Outlet Boutiques near Pudong International Airport and the Paris Spring Shopping Center on Huaihai Road.

The bureau inspected 59 samples comprising 40 fashion brands. Twenty-five samples did not meet standards, among which 24 were imported, representing 17 foreign brands.

A skirt bearing the Spanish label Zara and selling for 599 yuan (US$75) contained twice the allowed level of formaldehyde, the quality watchdog said.

The carcinogenic chemical is used in clothing to prevent mildew during shipping.

"The samples of MaxMara women coats and Burberry trousers sold in the Paris Spring Shopping Center tended to fade easily," the bureau said in a statement.

A Spanish-brand Mango coat whose label said it contained 20 percent cashmere had a content of only 1.7 percent, the statement said.

The bureau ordered the department stores involved to stop selling the substandard products yesterday morning.

An official at Paris Spring Shopping Center said the relevant goods had been removed.

"They were just for display," said an anonymous official in the center's marketing department, without explaining whether there was a difference between the so-called display merchandise and the goods a customer would buy.

Zara said it had not received any notice from the bureau while the other department stores and manufacturers were not available for comment yesterday.

A fashion industry source who was not willing to be named said the major brands outsource production to "almost every corner of the world," indicating that quality control might be a frequent problem.

Liu Jia, a secretary for a Hong Kong-based transport company, said she usually buys famous fashion brands to ensure quality, but now she is skeptical. "I've lost faith in the brands that failed the tests," Liu said.

(Source: Shanghai Daily January 19, 2007)