Bond-Eye
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Sydney swimwear label known for its crinkle stretch fabric.
Bond-Eye makes its crinkle-knit women's swimwear in Australia, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It uses some recycled fibres.
Best available in swimwear and surf. No brand in this category is Good yet, and Bond-Eye is the strongest we've rated: no serious red flags, and paying or working towards a living wage. How we pick
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Bond-Eye? Send a right of reply.
Compare Bond-Eye with another brand
Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Australia are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: yarn, fabric, dyeing and, for shoes, uppers
- 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) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Bond-Eye's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
Swimwear, Dresses & skirts: On Track, the same as Bond-Eye overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
Bond-Eye says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- "Made in Australia" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, yarn, fabric, dyeing and, for shoes, uppers can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
Research notes Bond-Eye says its swimwear is made and hand-dyed in Sydney from recycled nylon yarn spun by an Italian mill and knitted in Europe, so garment workers are covered by Australian award wages, though the factory is not named and no independent audit or Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation was found. Sister brands Sea Level and Artesands are made by partner factories in China. Most of the range uses GRS-certified recycled nylon; cotton is limited to a small collection whose origin is not disclosed. No supplier list, modern slavery statement or living wage commitment is published.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Bond-eye: design and sustainability (The Best of Intima, 2021) · search the archive · Founder Steve Philpott: Bond-eye made and dyed in Sydney; Sea Level and Artesands made in China; 32 staff in 2021
- Bond Eye Christy Bottoms (Free People) · search the archive · Retail listing: Made in Australia; 88% recycled nylon, 7% nylon, 5% Lycra (no cotton)
- AFC welcomes The Bond-Eye Group (Australian Fashion Council, 2025) · search the archive · The Bond-Eye Group (Bond-Eye, Sea Level, Artesands, Niptuck) joined the AFC in February 2025; CEO Steve Philpott
Published by Bond-Eye or its owner
- Bond-Eye - Sustainability · search the archive · Crinkle range handmade in Sydney; 92% of range recycled fibres, GRS-certified recycled nylon; small 100% cotton collection; mapping supply chain
- Bond-Eye - About us · search the archive · Fibres knitted in Europe from Italian-mill recycled nylon, then hand crafted into garments in Sydney
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 32
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bond-Eye ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bond-eye, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded swimwear and surf
No swimwear and surf brand selling new goods is Good yet. 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 Bond-Eye.