Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Californian surf, skate and lifestyle clothing brand.
RVCA's parent, Authentic Brands Group, scored 3/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and workers in Bangladesh and Vietnam are very unlikely to earn 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 has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 3/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 3/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Authentic Brands Group's countries across all its brands; RVCA doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far 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 |
Evidence
What we found
- 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 RVCA is owned by Authentic Brands Group, which bought Boardriders in 2023 and runs RVCA through licensees: Caprice Australia's BR South Pacific for Australia and New Zealand since May 2025, and Quetico's Ethos Brands in the US after Liberated Brands went bankrupt in 2025. No RVCA factory list or country breakdown is published; Caprice's 182 supplier factories are mostly in China, with a few in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Boardriders scored 3/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report and has no living wage plan.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Boardriders Inc, the Authentic Brands company RVCA is listed under, scored 3 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 5 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Boardriders scored 6% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index; RVCA is rated 0-10% in the 2022 index. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Caprice Australia, Australian licensee since May 2025, had 182 supplier factories, mostly in China, in its FY2026 statement (approved Oct 2026); it does not name RVCA or say which factories make it. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Boardriders Inc - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2024 score 5/100, FTI 2023 6/100, overall F; owned by Authentic Brands Group; RVCA among its brands
- Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: RVCA listed under Boardriders with 3/100, from public information only
- After Liberated bankruptcy, ABG names new Boardriders licensees (SGI News) · search the archive · BR South Pacific, a Caprice Australia subsidiary, licensed for RVCA in Australia, NZ, Thailand and Indonesia from May 2025
- New RVCA Leaders on Brand Plans (Shop Eat Surf) · search the archive · Aug 2025: RVCA licence went to Quetico Lifestyle Brands' Ethos Brands after the Liberated Brands bankruptcy
Published by RVCA or its owner
- Caprice Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY2026 · search the archive · FY2026: 182 supplier factories, mostly China, a few in India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh; 99.1% audited; no living wage commitment
Company details
- Owned by
- Authentic Brands Group
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is RVCA ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rvca, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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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 RVCA.