Labour Lens

DKNY

Lacks transparency

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

New York label selling clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories.

DKNY 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.

See better everyday fashion options

Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent DKNY? Send a right of reply.

Compare DKNY with another brand

Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 2 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.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 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, Bangladesh 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
  • Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
  • Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton and leather

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

These are G-III Apparel Group's countries across all its brands; DKNY doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
China34%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
BangladeshNot givenNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
VietnamNot givenSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
IndiaUsual for the industry3%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
CambodiaUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
IndonesiaUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
PakistanUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

Evidence

What we found

  • 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.
  • Doesn't show where its leather comes from. Leather is linked to hazardous tannery work and forced labour on some cattle ranches, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.

Research notes DKNY's products are made by independent suppliers; G-III owns no factories. G-III does not publish a supplier list or brand-level countries; group-wide, about 72% of products came from Vietnam, China and Bangladesh in fiscal 2026, with China at 25% and no split given for the other two. G-III audits suppliers yearly with its own staff and third-party firms and uses Oritain testing to check cotton origin, but reports 0% certified cotton (2023), no living wage commitment, and scored 1% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)ListedScored 1.5 out of 250 (1%) in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, far below the 26% average. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot listedNo Ethical Fashion Report score for DKNY or G-III, including the 2026 edition; ethical.org.au rates DKNY F overall. View
Business & Human Rights Resource CentreListedCompany page lists no allegations or lawsuits; G-III answered the 2022 UFLPA outreach saying its vendor code bans forced labour. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. DKNY (G-III Apparel Group) - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · FTI scores 6 (2020), 4.5 (2021), 2.5 (2022), 1.5 (2023) out of 250; no allegations listed
  2. DKNY - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Owned by G-III; FTI 2023 1/100; 0% certified cotton (2023 Cotton Rankings); no Ethical Fashion Report score
  3. DKNY - Good On You · search the archive · Uses leather, down and wool; no evidence of living wage payment
  4. G-III Apparel Group Form 10-K, fiscal 2026 (SEC) · search the archive · About 72% sourced from Vietnam, China and Bangladesh; China 25%; owns no factories; annual audits by staff and third-party firms; owns DKNY since 2016
  5. G-III California Transparency in Supply Chains statement · search the archive · Independent third-party auditors; announced and unannounced audits of vendor facilities
  6. DKNY Bryant leather crossbody bag (ASOS Australia) · search the archive · DKNY 100% leather handbag sold online to Australia via ASOS

Published by DKNY or its owner

  1. G-III 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report · search the archive · Internal compliance audits of Tier 1 suppliers, SLCP member, Oritain cotton origin testing; no living wage commitment

Company details

Headquarters
United States
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is DKNY ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dkny, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Better-graded bags and accessories

15 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: GlamCorner and Blue Spinach and 13 more · See them allGoodJoyyaClothing & footwearFair trade organic tees and bagsIts own factories in India hold WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Open supply chain; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities5 starsThe Social StudioClothing & footwearSocial enterprise fashion labelIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities4 starsThe Social OutfitClothing & footwearSydney-made social enterprise fashionIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice3 stars

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

See every bags and accessories brand

Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent DKNY.

Send evidenceSend a right of reply