LOS ANGELES, May 18 — Beyonce’s athleisure line Ivy Park has been forced to deny reports that its clothes are produced in sweatshop-like conditions.

An article in British tabloid The Sun on Sunday claimed the athletic wear is made in factories in Sri Lanka, where workers get paid US$6 (RM24) a day. In contrast, a pair of Ivy Park leggings costs US$144.

The article, which was based on interviews with the factory workers, also detailed poor working conditions such as cramped living quarters and no sick pay.

It is understood that Ivy Park uses a MAS Holdings factory in Sri Lanka to manufacture some of its clothes.

Ivy Park said in a statement emailed to CNNMoney that it has a “rigorous ethical trading programme.”

“We are proud of our sustained efforts in terms of factory inspections and audits, and our teams worldwide work very closely with our suppliers and their factories to ensure compliance,” the brand said.

“We expect our suppliers to meet our code of conduct and we support them in achieving these requirements,” the statement added.

The company, however, did not respond to requests for details about its code of conduct nor did not address the specific allegations made in the report.

Ivy Park is a joint-venture between Beyonce and the retail billionaire Sir Philip Green. His family owns the fashion group Arcadia, which includes Topshop, Wallis, Burton and other brands.

CNN added that Arcadia Group does not own or operate factories. Its products are manufactured at more than 950 locations in 49 countries.