Labour Lens

Karl Lagerfeld

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

Amsterdam-based fashion house selling clothing and handbags.

Karl Lagerfeld 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.

Better-graded bags and accessories

Graded higher than Karl Lagerfeld, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

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.

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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, leather and cashmere) 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; Karl Lagerfeld 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.
  • Uses cashmere 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 Karl Lagerfeld's products are made by independent suppliers; G-III owns no factories. G-III's 10-K says about 72% of group sourcing is from Vietnam, China and Bangladesh, with China 25%; no brand-level country breakdown or other shares are published. Karl Lagerfeld published its Tier 1 suppliers on Open Supply Hub (2023), and a 2025 Fairly Made pilot mapped 105 suppliers for 500 products. G-III audits suppliers; no living wage commitment or wage evidence.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot listedNo 2026 Ethical Fashion Report score is shown for G-III or its brands on Shop Ethical (G-III page rated F, updated Aug 2026, with no report score). View
Business & Human Rights Resource CentreListedG-III answered the 2022 UFLPA outreach saying its vendor code bans forced labour; no allegations about Karl Lagerfeld are listed. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. G-III Apparel Group - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Owns Karl Lagerfeld, DKNY and Donna Karan; rated F (Aug 2026), no Ethical Fashion Report score shown; 0% certified cotton (2023)
  2. Karl Lagerfeld - Good On You · search the archive · Uses leather, shearling, wool, some cashmere and down; no evidence of living wage payment
  3. 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; full ownership of Karl Lagerfeld since 2022
  4. G-III California Transparency in Supply Chains statement · search the archive · Independent third-party auditors; announced and unannounced audits of vendor facilities
  5. Karl Lagerfeld x Fairly Made traceability case study · search the archive · Pilot covering 500 products identified 105 suppliers; 100% of manufacturing countries mapped
  6. Karl Lagerfeld Rue St-Guillaume tote (THE ICONIC) · search the archive · Karl Lagerfeld bags sold online in Australia by THE ICONIC

Published by Karl Lagerfeld or its owner

  1. G-III 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report · search the archive · Karl Lagerfeld published all Tier One suppliers on Open Supply Hub in 2023; internal Tier 1 audits; Oritain cotton testing

Company details

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

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