Ktena Knitting Mills
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Family-owned Melbourne mill knitting merino wool clothing.
Ktena Knitting Mills makes its merino knitwear and basics in its own factories in Australia, and carries the Australian Made label.
Also worth knowing
Ethical Clothing Australia checks that every worker in its Australian supply chain is paid award wages and entitlements.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 6 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 6 of 6
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: award wages independently checked (Ethical Clothing Australia)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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 listMakes its products in its own factories
- 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.
Accreditations 2
- Ethical Clothing AustraliaCounts as proof of a living wage for products made in Australia, because it checks workers get the legal pay rates for their job, and in Australia those are about a living wage.
- Australian MadeCounts as made in Australia for the final stage. For Good, the brand also needs to show where its materials and parts are made.
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Ktena Knitting Mills'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.
Knitwear, T-shirts, Underwear, Sleepwear & loungewear: Good, the same as Ktena Knitting Mills overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
- A product made with cotton: On Track
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
From Ktena Knitting Mills's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 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.
- Owns or runs its own production
Research notes Ktena is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia, which checks that workers in its Australian supply chain get award wages and entitlements. Its ECA listing carries the '100% made in Australia' badge: garments are knitted, sewn, finished and packed at the family's own factory in Oakleigh, Melbourne, where many staff have worked for over 30 years. Its About page now says it is a certified B Corp (score 147.5), but no B Lab directory listing confirms this. ECA audits do not cover wool growing or spinning, and it names no farms or spinners. No labour allegations were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Certified | Listed in Ethical Clothing Australia's current brand directory with the 100% made-in-Australia badge. View |
| Fair Wear | Not listed | Not known to be a Fair Wear member; a fully Australian manufacturer is outside Fair Wear's usual scope. View |
| B Corp directory | Unclear | Ktena's About page (updated 2026) claims B Corp certification with a score of 147.5; no B Lab directory listing was found to confirm it. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations against Ktena appear in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Ethical Clothing Australia: Ktena Knitting Mills (brand) · search the archive · Listed in the current ECA directory with the 100% made-in-Australia badge; garments designed, knitted, sewn and packaged at its Melbourne factory; 100% Australian owned and operated.
- Ethical Clothing Australia brand sitemap · search the archive · Ktena Knitting Mills is one of 56 brands in ECA's current directory (lastmod 1 November 2026).
- Ethical Clothing Australia: FAQs · search the archive · Accreditation maps the Australian supply chain from design to dispatch; fabric and yarn are not audited unless custom made in Australia.
Published by Ktena Knitting Mills or its owner
- Ktena: About us · search the archive · Founded 1982; family run; knitting, sewing, finishing and packing in Oakleigh; staff with 30+ years' service; claims B Corp status (score 147.5).
- Ktena: home page · search the archive · Made in its own factory at 20 Burlington Street, Oakleigh; Australian merino wool; ECA, Woolmark and Australian Made certified; online shop and factory shop.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ktena Knitting Mills ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ktena, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good 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 Ktena Knitting Mills.