Forever New
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Melbourne women's fashion retailer selling dresses and occasionwear.
There's no proof Forever New pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
Better-graded everyday fashion
Graded higher than Forever New, 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.
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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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Forever New looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unsafe conditions in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
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, Bangladesh and India.
- 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 Forever New's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 77% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | Not given | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | Not given | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Vietnam | 3% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 Forever New designs in Melbourne and buys from about 85 overseas suppliers; in FY25 about 93% of its products were made in China, 4% in Vietnam and 3% in Bangladesh and India. It publishes a tier 1 supplier list, has signed every Bangladesh and International Accord since 2013 and audits most factories each year, and scored 35/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, just above the 31.5 average. It says it is committed to living wages and has done a wage gap analysis, but has set no date for paying them.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 35 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 60 in 2024. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Forever New files annual modern slavery statements; the FY25 statement reports 85 merchandise suppliers, 76 social audits and no modern slavery cases found. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Forever New's FY25 modern slavery statement reports an average of almost six non-compliances per audited factory, mostly on living wages, unsafe or unhygienic conditions and unguarded machinery (Forever New, 2025).Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | Partly86% of corrective action plans were closed within the year and critical findings were resolved; no remedy for workers is described. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- A 2012 Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights report alleged that workers sewing for Forever New at the Northern Fashion factory in Bangladesh were denied maternity benefits and paid very low wages (as reported by Shop Ethical, 2012); the original report could not be traced. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Forever New - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Forever New scored 35/100 (average 31.5); Oxfam tracker: tier 1 list published; 2012 IGLHR Northern Fashion report
- Australian fashion brands operating 'shocking' conditions, reports Oxfam (SBS) · search the archive · In 2019 Oxfam named Forever New among brands without a credible living wage commitment
Published by Forever New or its owner
- Forever New Modern Slavery Statement FY25 · search the archive · FY25: China 93%, Vietnam 4%, Bangladesh and India 3%; 85 suppliers; 76 audits averaging 5.97 non-compliances; 86% of CAPs closed
- Forever New Modern Slavery Statement FY24 · search the archive · FY24: about 91% China, 7% Vietnam; Accord member since 2013; living wage commitment without a date
- Forever New Modern Slavery Statement FY23 · search the archive · 76 tier 1 suppliers, 90 factories; one supplier used an undisclosed factory and production was paused until it passed an audit
- Forever New - Supply chain · search the archive · Supplier list published; BSCI, SMETA and SA8000 audits; 2022 wage gap analysis; Accord signatory since 2013; Uzbek and Turkmen cotton pledge
Company details
- Owned by
- ADT Group Holdings Pty Ltd
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Forever New ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/forever-new, last researched 2 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 Forever New.