Okanui
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Sydney surf brand known for hibiscus boardshorts.
We couldn't confirm where it makes the rest, and most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where the legal minimum is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 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 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where 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) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Okanui names some of the countries it makes in: Australia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Fiji | We don't have labour ratings for this country yet. | ||
Evidence
What we found
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- 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 Okanui says its signature cotton Classic shorts are 'collectively made in Australia and the Fijian Islands'; surf press reported in 2022 that it had moved Classics production back to Sydney's Northern Beaches. Where the rest of its range (swimwear, tees, shirts, knits and accessories) is made is undisclosed; it names no factories and publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement, audits, certifications or wage information. Its women's swimwear uses REPREVE recycled polyester.
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Surf, Sand and Style at Okanui (In Noosa Magazine) · search the archive · Classic shorts formerly made in Fiji, moved back to Australia after COVID; family owned by the Kasprowiczs
- Where it all started: Okanui Classics now made back in Oz (Pacific Longboarder, 2022) · search the archive · Production moved to Fiji in the 1970s; Classics manufacture brought back to the Northern Beaches
- Okanui (The CEO Magazine) · search the archive · Founder Dick Ash sold the business to Simon and Wendy Kasprowicz; Northern Beaches base
Published by Okanui or its owner
- Mens Classic Short - Hibiscus Emerald (Okanui) · search the archive · Classic shorts 'collectively made in Australia and the Fijian Islands'; 100% cotton
- What is REPREVE (Okanui) · search the archive · Women's swimwear made with REPREVE recycled polyester
- Okanui home page · search the archive · Australian family owned since 1978; no sustainability or sourcing page; range covers swim, tops, bottoms, accessories
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Okanui ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/okanui, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded swimwear and surf
No swimwear and surf brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. 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 Okanui.