Earth Sea Sky
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Christchurch maker of outdoor clothing.
Earth Sea Sky makes its outdoor and polar clothing in New Zealand, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are about a living wage, and it makes part of its range in its own factories.
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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 New Zealand 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 Earth Sea Sky'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.
Jackets & coats, Pants & trousers, Knitwear, Hats: On Track, the same as Earth Sea Sky 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
Earth Sea Sky says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 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.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- "Made in New Zealand" 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 Earth Sea Sky is a family-owned Christchurch outdoor clothing maker founded by David Ellis in 1990, and says all its clothing is designed and made in New Zealand, partly at its own Addington site and partly with four other New Zealand clothing manufacturers. Making garments in New Zealand means workers are covered by New Zealand employment law, but the company holds no labour certification, does not name its partner manufacturers and publishes nothing on audits or wages. Fabrics come from overseas mills it does not name. It ships to Australia and supplies the Australian Antarctic Division.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Not listed | Not in Ethical Clothing Australia's current brand directory; production is in New Zealand, outside ECA's scope. View |
| Fair Wear | Not listed | No Fair Wear membership is mentioned by the brand or in coverage of it. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No B Corp certification is mentioned by the brand or in coverage of it. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations against Earth Sea Sky appear in press coverage. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- ChristchurchNZ: Earth Sea Sky · search the archive · Formed in 1990 by David Ellis; works with four clothing manufacturers across New Zealand; clients include the Australian Antarctic Division.
- Otago Daily Times: Business owner devastated after family heirloom stolen · search the archive · July 2026: store on Bernard St, Addington, Christchurch, where the company manufactures many of its garments; co-owned by Jane Ellis.
- Wanaka App: Earth Sea Sky · search the archive · 100% NZ made; merino from two Central Otago farms; started 1990.
- Wilderness: Brand of the Year: Earth Sea Sky · search the archive · Run by the Ellis family, fifth and sixth generations of outdoor clothing makers.
Published by Earth Sea Sky or its owner
- Earth Sea Sky: home page · search the archive · Clothing 100% designed and made in New Zealand; family-owned; fabrics from mills around the world; repair service.
- Earth Sea Sky: Shipping & Returns · search the archive · Ships to Australia with tracked delivery.
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Earth Sea Sky ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/earth-sea-sky, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded outdoor
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 Earth Sea Sky.