Marle
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
New Zealand label selling knitwear in natural fibres.
We couldn't confirm where Marle makes most of its natural-fibre knitwear and clothing.
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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Marle? Send a right of reply.
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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.
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 clothes and shoes are usually 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, silk and cashmere) 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
We couldn't confirm where Marle makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| 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
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Traces all of its cashmere to the country of origin or beyond, or buys all of it certified
- 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.
- Uses silk 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 Marle does not say which countries its garments are made in or name its factories, though it says all of them are amfori BSCI or WRAP certified. It names fibre origins: cashmere only from Mongolia, Perino yarn made in New Zealand, and yak wool through the traceable Shokay programme; its organic cotton is GOTS or OCS certified. It publishes no supplier code of conduct, wage information or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not listed in the 11th Edition Ethical Fashion Report (2026), which covers larger companies selling in Australia and New Zealand. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- MARLE - Good On You · search the archive · Rated 'It's a start' (June 2023); final production BSCI and WRAP certified; no evidence of living wages
- New Zealand label Marle knitwear (Fashion Journal, 2021) · search the archive · Silk from Hangzhou, China and Italy; wool mostly Australian; cotton, linen, hemp from India; WRAP factories audited yearly
Published by Marle or its owner
- Marle - Our Responsibility · search the archive · Factories BSCI or WRAP certified (or both); organic cotton GOTS or OCS certified; ZQ Perino; Shokay yak; Traceable Cashmere mill; no countries named
- Marle - Fabric Library · search the archive · Cashmere comes exclusively from Mongolia; Perino yarn (merino, possum, silk) made in New Zealand
- Marle - Our Story · search the archive · Established 2015 by Juliet Souter; head office in Mount Maunganui, NZ; womenswear and menswear
- Marle - Australian stockists · search the archive · Sold through dozens of boutiques across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA and Tasmania
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Marle ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/marle, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded everyday fashion
None of the everyday fashion brands we know to make knitwear is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. The Social Studio, Middlemost and The Social Outfit are Good, but we don't know that they make knitwear. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Marle.