Labour Lens

ME+EM

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 · 3 sources

London premium fashion label selling womenswear.

There's no proof ME+EM pays more than the legal minimum, which in Türkiye and China is below a living wage.

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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.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 3 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
  • 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
  • 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

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

ME+EM says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
TürkiyeNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
PortugalStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
ItalyStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
IndiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
SpainStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
RomaniaRegular violationsBelow a living wageModerate
MauritiusRegular violationsBelow a living wageLow
United KingdomRegular violationsClose to a living wageLow
GermanyStrong protectionsAbout a living wageLow
BulgariaRegular violationsBelow a living wageHigh
NepalRegular violationsBelow a living wageLow

Evidence

What we found

  • 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.
  • Uses leather and cashmere in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes ME+EM's clothing, footwear and accessories come from 60 suppliers running 73 tier 1 factories in 14 countries, with the most sites in Turkey, Portugal, Italy and China; it gives site counts by country but no production shares and no named supplier list. It is an ETI member, requires SMETA audits (98% of suppliers audited) and bans cotton from Xinjiang, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It is an accredited Living Wage Employer for its own staff but has no supply-chain living wage commitment; a wage gap assessment of its top manufacturers is planned for 2026-27.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
UK Modern Slavery Statement RegistryListed2025-26 UK modern slavery statement lists 73 tier 1 factories from 60 suppliers in 14 countries, 98% of suppliers with SMETA audits, and a living wage gap assessment of top suppliers planned for 2026-27. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot listedNot rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View

Sources and actions

Sources 3

Show all 3 sources
  1. Ethical Fashion Guide (Baptist World Aid, 2026 edition) · search the archive · 11th edition (2026); ME+EM not among the rated brands

Published by ME+EM or its owner

  1. ME+EM Modern Slavery Statement 2025-26 · search the archive · 73 tier 1 factories from 60 suppliers in 14 countries (Turkey 16 sites, Portugal 14, China 15, Italy 11, India 6 and others); 98% SMETA; ETI; living wage gap assessment planned 2026-27
  2. ME+EM - International customers · search the archive · Ships to over 200 destinations via Global-E; Australia listed among countries where ME+EM covers duties and taxes

Company details

Headquarters
United Kingdom
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is ME+EM ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/me-em, 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

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGoodbassikeMissing: a full independent supply chain audit, where its earlier stages happen and 2 more · Clothing & footwearOrganic cotton casual wearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedKeeganMissing: traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearHandmade Australian womenswear and jewelleryPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerifiedMandatoryMissing: where its earlier stages happen and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearWellington-made menswear and suitingPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

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.

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Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent ME+EM.

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