AS Colour
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
New Zealand company selling blank T-shirts, hoodies and basics.
AS Colour can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent AS Colour? Send a right of reply.
Compare AS Colour 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. AS Colour looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 Bangladesh, China and Vietnam.
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
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
Bangladesh has the largest share, 50%. China is next, at 35%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 50% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 35% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes AS Colour's blank basics are made by about 35 independent tier 1 suppliers in Bangladesh (50% of production), China (35%), Vietnam (10%) and Thailand (5%); ten core factories make most of its range. It publishes a factory page, signed the Bangladesh Accord, is an amfori BSCI member and has every factory audited at least yearly, and it scored 67/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, well above the 31.5 average. It says all suppliers pay the legal wage and half pay or are working towards 'fair pay', but admits not all workers earn a living wage and has no dated living wage target.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 67 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 65 in 2024. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | AS Colour Pty Ltd files annual modern slavery statements; the FY25 statement reports 35 tier 1 suppliers, about half of production in Bangladesh, and no modern slavery cases found. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | AS Colour's own modern slavery statements report audit findings of pay below the legal minimum wage at its factories (one case in 2022, two in 2023) and repeated overtime breaches (13 in FY25) (AS Colour, 2023-2025).Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyFindings are handled through corrective action plans with follow-up audits within 3 to 6 months; outcomes for affected workers are not reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- AS Colour - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: AS Colour scored 67/100 (average 31.5); Better Cotton and amfori BSCI member; 21% owned by Quadrant Private Equity
Published by AS Colour or its owner
- AS Colour Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY25 · search the archive · 35 tier 1 suppliers; Bangladesh 50%, China 35%, Vietnam 10%, Thailand 5%; 13 overtime breaches; no living wage target
- AS Colour Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY24 · search the archive · Annual amfori audits of all factories; two cases of pay below minimum wage and 15 overtime breaches in 2023
- AS Colour Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY23 · search the archive · One case of pay below minimum wage and nine overtime breaches in 2022 audits; corrective action plans via amfori
- AS Colour - Production FAQs · search the archive · Factories page lists factories and audits; unannounced BSCI/WRAP audits; Accord signatory; not all workers paid a living wage; no Xinjiang cotton
- AS Colour - How We Source · search the archive · 10 factories make most products; no subcontracting allowed; open-book costing; Vietnam added 2023; amfori BSCI member
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is AS Colour ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/as-colour, 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 AS Colour.