MOTHER
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Los Angeles premium denim label.
There's no proof MOTHER pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage.
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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 its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in the United States, China and Bangladesh.
- 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) 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
MOTHER names some of the countries it makes in: the United States. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 90% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Makes part of its range in its own 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.
Research notes MOTHER says over 90% of its manufacturing, and 94% of its denim, is done in Los Angeles using imported fabrics; it does not name the countries that make the rest. In 2023 it bought a retiring sewing contractor and now runs its own sewing unit (MOTHER Maker, 50+ staff, about 20% of sewing capacity), with the rest made by local contractors and wash houses. It requires annual third-party audits of its direct vendors, but publishes no factory list, no supplier code of conduct and no living wage commitment, in a Los Angeles garment sector where wage theft is common.
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- MOTHER - Good On You · search the archive · Final production mainly in the USA; code of conduct not public; no evidence of living wages; denim brand using cotton, some wool, no leather
- USA: Wage theft & poor working conditions common in LA garment industry (BHRRC) · search the archive · Wage theft and poor conditions are widespread in the Los Angeles garment industry
Published by MOTHER or its owner
- Made With Love in Los Angeles (MOTHER) · search the archive · 94% of denim and over 90% of manufacturing made in Los Angeles; MOTHER Maker sewing unit acquired 2023, 50+ staff, about 20% of sewing capacity
- CA Supply Chain Act (MOTHER) · search the archive · Annual third-party compliance audits of Tier 1 vendors; written vendor certification; zero tolerance for slavery and trafficking
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is MOTHER ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/mother, 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 jeans 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 jeans. 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 MOTHER.