A.P.C.
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Paris label known for raw denim and minimalist men's and women's wear.
A.P.C. can't show that the workers who make its products in India and Morocco earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent A.P.C.? Send a right of reply.
Compare A.P.C. with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in India, Tunisia and China.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather, silk and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeTraced or certified: cotton and leather. Only in a few products: silk and cashmere
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
A.P.C. names some of the countries it makes in: Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia and India. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Portugal | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Tunisia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for clothes and shoes: traces or certifies its cotton and leather.
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Uses silk and cashmere in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its cotton. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its leather. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes A.P.C. uses independent suppliers: 76% of its direct suppliers in 2024 were near-shore, mainly in Portugal, Morocco and Tunisia, and quilts are hand-stitched in India; it gives no split by country and publishes no supplier list, though product QR codes (via Fairly Made) show supplier countries. 85% of direct suppliers by purchase value had a third-party social audit (BSCI, SMETA, ICS, WCA, GOTS or SA8000) in 2024. It makes no living wage commitment. In 2025, 98% of leather products used LWG-certified tanneries and 63% of jersey products were GOTS certified.
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- L Catterton acquires majority stake in A.P.C. (FashionUnited) · search the archive · L Catterton took a majority stake in 2023; Jean and Judith Touitou remain minority shareholders
- A.P.C. - Our commitments · search the archive · 76% of tier-1 suppliers near-shore (Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia); 85% audited in 2024; 98% LWG leather and 63% GOTS jersey in 2025
- A.P.C. and Fairly Made case study · search the archive · 228 suppliers in SS25 collection; 85.5% of factories in Europe; production chain traced from raw material
Published by A.P.C. or its owner
- A.P.C. CSR report, September 2024 · search the archive · Over 700 employees; GOTS, RWS, OCS, GRS certified; LWG member; organic silk and certified cashmere among materials
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Employees
- About 700
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is A.P.C. ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/apc, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded basics
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent A.P.C..