Fenton & Fenton
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Melbourne interiors label selling furniture, rugs and decor.
There's no proof Fenton & Fenton pays more than the legal minimum, which in India is well below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Fenton & Fenton? Send a right of reply.
Compare Fenton & Fenton with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 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 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not 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 (leather and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: timber
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Fenton & Fenton names some of the countries it makes in: India and Australia. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Doesn't show where its timber comes from. Timber is linked to illegal logging linked to forced labour, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses leather in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Fenton & Fenton designs its own furniture ranges (bone inlay, timber and leather pieces) made by suppliers and hand-carving artisans in India, mainly Rajasthan, and also sells work by Australian makers and artists; no shares are given. It names no workshops and publishes no audits, supplier list, modern slavery statement or wage commitment. The business went into liquidation in August 2023 and was relaunched under Berkowitz Furniture.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Furniture retailers are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2024). (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No modern slavery statement found on the register; reporting is only required for entities with over A$100 million revenue. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Fenton & Fenton rescued by Berkowitz Furniture (Inside Retail, 2023) · search the archive · Berkowitz Furniture bought the collapsed retailer in 2023; Lucy Fenton stays as creative director
- Fenton & Fenton Is Coming Back Again (Broadsheet, 2023) · search the archive · Liquidation August 2023; furniture, linen, rugs and art, many items from Australian makers and artists
Published by Fenton & Fenton or its owner
- The Story of Bone Inlay - Fenton & Fenton · search the archive · Bone inlay furniture hand-made by artisans in Rajasthan, India; no workshops named
- Lucy Fenton Q&A: 10 years of Fenton & Fenton (2018) · search the archive · India is main buying destination; own Woodrow, bone inlay and leather furniture ranges; Australian artists
- About - Fenton & Fenton · search the archive · Flagship showroom at 471 High Street, Prahran, currently trading
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Fenton & Fenton ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/fenton-and-fenton, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded furniture
None of the furniture brands we know to make furniture is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Le Klint is Good, but we don't know that it makes furniture.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Fenton & Fenton.