A darling of the fashion industry, WORLD has long-championed its New Zealand made mantra, and today's these self-proclaimed high standards have come back to bite them.
It's emerged a small percentage of the local fashion label's clothes aren't Kiwi made , and an Auckland University brand expert says it's hard to see how this isn't deceptive.
"I think this is breaking a promise, but even it's one step further creating the illusion it's being produced in New Zealand when it's not, and I think it would be very hard to argue that that cannot be misleading," Auckland University's Bodo Lang said.
"If you criticise others you are being held accountable to a much higher degree than I think other companies might be and I think that's what's happening here."
WORLD co-founder Dame Denise L'Estrange-Corbet declined to be interviewed on camera, but says the decision to make casual clothes offshore wasn't a decision taken lightly.
Dame Denise said as all local manufacturers closed down, WORLD wasn't able to make the garments here.
Yet, Christian charity Tearfund says where clothes are made isn't its top priority.
"I think the question isn't 'should my clothes made in New Zealand or should they be made offshore'," Tearfund CEO Ian McInnes.
"For me we're less concerned about that. We're as concerned about, are the workers making my clothes treated fairly whether that's here or offshore?"
Dame Denise has defended the addition of the NZ Made tags saying they also carry prices and barcodes.
Auckland University's Bodo Lang said the slightly defiant response from WORLD today was understandable given the extent of the backlash.
"I think the tone in some of the commentary was probably a bit defensive which I can understand because they're probably feeling a little bit attacked at the moment,"
But it's an attack many think WORLD's brand will weather, with only one per cent of their range manufactured offshore.
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