Kenneth Cole

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

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources

New York brand selling shoes, handbags and tailoring.

We couldn't confirm where Kenneth Cole makes most of its shoes, bags and fashion.

Also worth knowing

Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.

Better-graded footwear

Graded higher than Kenneth Cole, 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 allGood Jumbo Ugg AustraliaClothing & footwearAustralian-made sheepskin ugg bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerified Redback BootsClothing & footwearAustralian-made leather work bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond VejaClothing & footwearSneakersHolds Fair Trade USA factory certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond

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 1 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production, probably in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
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 1 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 (cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Probably made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

Not confirmed

We couldn't confirm where Kenneth Cole makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
Country	Share	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	30%	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Bangladesh	20%	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Vietnam	15%	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
India	10%	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
Cambodia	8%	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Türkiye	7%	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
Indonesia	5%	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Pakistan	5%	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

Modern slavery statement
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 cotton 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 Kenneth Cole products are made by independent suppliers, and most ranges are now made and sourced by licensees, which monitor their own factories. It says its own suppliers are audited every 12 to 18 months, with third-party audits of new and Asian factories, and that its 2021 audits found non-compliance but no slavery. No countries of manufacture, supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment are published, and its modern slavery statement has not been updated since 2021. Its range is led by leather shoes and bags.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry	Listed	Publishes a UK Modern Slavery Act statement, last updated for the 2021 calendar year, covering own suppliers and licensees. View
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Unclear	Company profile lists no specific allegations and no response requests. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources

Kenneth Cole Productions enters a new era of leadership (Glossy, 2025) · search the archive · Royalty-based licensing across footwear, handbags, tailoring and accessories; about 150 staff; licensees Marc Fisher, Concept One, Peerless
Kenneth Cole re-enters men's footwear with Marc Fisher (Fashion Dive, 2025) · search the archive · Men's footwear licensed to Marc Fisher Footwear; women's apparel licensed to Kasper Group in 2024; leather dress shoes and boots
Kenneth Cole at Myer · search the archive · Myer sells Kenneth Cole loafers, dress shoes, sneakers, sandals and boots in Australia
Kenneth Cole Productions (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Founded 1982 in New York; privately held; Kenneth Cole chairman, Jed Berger CEO

Published by Kenneth Cole or its owner

Kenneth Cole - California Supply Chains Act · search the archive · Announced and unannounced third-party audits; suppliers sign terms of engagement banning forced labour; no countries named
Kenneth Cole - Our Business · search the archive · New factories inspected at start; licensed products follow Global Sourcing and Operating Guidelines; fur-free since 2007

Company details

Owned by: Kenneth Cole Productions (privately held)
Headquarters: United States
Employees: About 150
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Kenneth Cole ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kenneth-cole, 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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