Sean John Sportswear is a clothing and fragrance line founded by hip-hop mogul Sean Combs A.K.A Sean John, in 1998. The name is taken from Combs' first and middle given names.
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969) is an American record producer, CEO, clothing designer, actor, and rapper.
Foxy 105 (Columbus, Georgia) reported in January 2008 that his stage name and nickname were changed to Sean John, which has been denied by Combs. He has been previously known as Puff Daddy, later as P. Diddy (Puff and Puffy being often used as a nickname, but never as recording names), his nickname and stage name were then changed to Diddy (adopted in August 2005). He is still called P. Diddy in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the latter after a legal battle with another artist, Richard "Diddy" Dearlove.
People representing the brand include Combs himself, rappers such as T.I., Fabolous, The Game, Daddy Yankee (Reggaeton star), basketball stars including Dwyane Wade and Tristan Sooklal, plus models Tyson Beckford and Kevin Navayne
His business interests include Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John Sportswear and Sean by Sean Combs, a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, back up singer, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. Combs is the second richest hip-hop mogul, having a net worth estimated at US $358 million.
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In October 2003, P. Diddy was under intense media attention for using sweatshop labor to produce Sean John Sportswear. Among the accusations, originally put forth by the National Labor Committee (NLC), Sean John Sportswear workers were subjected to body searches, fired if pregnant and paid sweatshop wages. Diddy responded to the BBC that there would be a "zero tolerance" investigation at his company, Sean John Sportswear. He stated to a group of reporters "I'm as pro-worker as they get.”
In late 2006, after allegations of raccoon dog fur being used in two styles of jackets, Sean John Sportswear, together with Macy's, pulled all of the garments from the department stores where this product was shipped.
In 2005 and 2006, Sean John Sportswear was again the center of debate due to the fact that it outsourced its labor and forced workers to work nearly 14 hour shifts. The workers, mostly comprised of teenage girls, got paid an average of 15 cents per hour under horrible conditions. Most of the Sean John Sportswear workers were denied bathroom breaks, the right to talk to each other, and forced to buy meals from the factory, which caused many of them to end their work day in debt.
