Social media influencer Mya Lee (@myalamis) has ignited an intense online debate about livable wages and the ethics of luxury brands after posting a video that called out Louis Vuitton for offering factory workers just $17 an hour, despite selling handbags for thousands of dollars.
In her April 15, 2025, video shared to Instagram, Lee questioned why the iconic fashion house is struggling to staff its Texas factory and took a broader swipe at what she calls a “toxic work cycle” that forces people into multiple jobs just to survive.
“They offer people $17 an hour, but I charge people $2,000 a bag,” Lee said. “They got expensive stuff… but y’all only want to pay your factory workers $17 an hour?”
“Who Was Working There Before?”
Lee’s commentary also touched on racial and immigration dynamics, speculating that Hispanic laborers were likely the previous workforce and questioning whether these were the “Black jobs” some had accused immigrants of taking.
“Are these the Black jobs they said Hispanic people were taking that we didn’t ask for?” she asked.
Her statement struck a chord online, generating thousands of likes, shares, and comments. One commenter wrote, “Slavery without the chain.”
“$17 Isn’t Enough in 2025”
Lee stated that she wasn’t shaming workers, but rather calling out companies for failing to pay wages that reflect today’s cost of living.
“You’re literally bringing home maybe $1,100 every two weeks,” she said. “And the average rent is $1,200 to $1,300. How y’all expect people to survive on $17 an hour?”
She also broke down the cycle many working-class Americans face—underpaid, overworked, and unable to rest, often juggling two or three jobs while trying to maintain basic well-being:
“Your health is declining. You don’t have time for a social life. Like, this is the work cycle… and it’s not healthy for us.”
Work, Marriage, and Time Poverty
Lee also responded to critics who cite her marital status as a reason she doesn’t struggle with bills.
“I don’t give a [expletive], my husband not working two or three jobs either,” she said. “If he [is] at work all the time, when [is] he gonna have time to see me? When [is] he gonna have time to help me raise these kids?”
This part of her message resonated with viewers who echoed her sentiments about time poverty and how financial stress strains families.
The Broader Conversation
While Louis Vuitton has not issued a public response to Lee’s post, the video highlights broader concerns over wage stagnation, inflation, and inequality—especially as billion-dollar brands continue to expand their U.S. operations.
Viewers left hundreds of comments sharing their own struggles:
- “I told my boss I’m barely making it and she looked shocked.”
- “Companies are Fortune 500 but want to pay below or barely livable wages.”
- “I’m not working a second job, baby—and neither is he.”
Voices like Mya Lee’s are helping to push these conversations into the mainstream.
