Desigual
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Barcelona fashion brand known for colourful patterned clothing.
Desigual can't show that the workers who make its products in India and Cambodia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded bags and accessories
Graded higher than Desigual, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Desigual? Send a right of reply.
Compare Desigual 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 China, India and Cambodia.
- 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
From Desigual's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Regular violations | Below a living wage | High |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Myanmar | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Very high |
| Portugal | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Romania | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Tunisia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- 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 Desigual's products are made by 79 independent suppliers (2023). Its 2023 sustainability report names Tier 1 factory workers in Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, India, Morocco, Myanmar, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Türkiye, with 26% of output in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 74% in Asia, but no country shares; it stopped producing in Indonesia in 2023. It publishes its tier 1 list, audits all tier 1 factories under BSCI, SMETA or Higg, and is an amfori and Sedex member. It publishes no living wage commitment or wage data.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 61.5 out of 250 (about 25%) in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, near the 26% average. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Not rated in Baptist World Aid's 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, the latest edition, despite selling through Australian stockists. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile records no allegations against Desigual; one response request (Karnataka wage theft story), answered. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Desigual - Good On You · search the archive · Audits all of its final production stage; over half certified BSCI/SMETA; no evidence of living wages
- Desigual - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · FTI scores 2019-2023 (61.5/250 in 2023); no allegations; 100% response rate
- 'Take bolder decisions': Desigual reveals new Australian strategy (Ragtrader, 2024) · search the archive · Desigual has sold in Australia through stockists for over a decade and is adding more
Published by Desigual or its owner
- Desigual - Traceability and transparency · search the archive · Publishes tier 1 manufacturer list on Open Supply Hub; amfori and Sedex member using BSCI and SMETA audits
- Desigual Sustainability Report 2023 · search the archive · 79 suppliers; Tier 1 workers in 12 named countries; EMEA 26%, Asia 74%; Indonesia exited 2023; 100% Tier 1 audited; 2,264 staff
- Desigual sets a challenge for 2025: 100% more sustainable cotton · search the archive · 2020 target for 100% more sustainable cotton by 2025 via Better Cotton; cotton widely used
Company details
- Headquarters
- Spain
- Employees
- About 2,264
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Desigual ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/desigual, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Desigual.