Labour Lens

Sosandar

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 · 6 sources

UK women's fashion brand selling dresses and tailoring.

There's no proof Sosandar pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.

See better everyday fashion options

Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Sosandar? Send a right of reply.

Compare Sosandar with another brand

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.

How grades are decided

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 China, Vietnam and India.
  • 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 and leather) 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

Accreditations 1

Where it's made

Sosandar names some of the countries it makes in: China, India, Türkiye and Vietnam. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
VietnamSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
IndiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
BangladeshUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
TürkiyeNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
CambodiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
IndonesiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
PakistanUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

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 in only a few products and traces or certifies most of it. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes Sosandar designs in-house and has its clothing made by 54 independent suppliers across 87 Tier 1 factories in 12 countries, naming China, India, Turkey and Vietnam plus several EU countries without giving shares; an undated Retail Week profile also names Spain. It requires suppliers to follow the ETI Base Code and says all Tier 1 factories are independently audited (SMETA or BSCI) every 12-24 months, but it publishes no supplier list, audit findings or living wage commitment. Leather, used in footwear and accessories, comes from Leather Working Group Gold or Silver tanneries; there is no cotton sourcing data and Xinjiang is not mentioned.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
UK Modern Slavery Statement RegistryListedPublishes a UK modern slavery statement for the year to 31 March 2026, approved by the co-CEOs in August 2026: 54 suppliers across 87 Tier 1 factories in 12 countries. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot coveredNot assessed in the Ethical Fashion Report 2026 (no score found), which covers larger brands with a big Australian presence. View
Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)Not coveredNot in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, which only covers brands with annual turnover above US$400 million. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources
  1. THE ICONIC secures expanding UK label Sosandar (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Sosandar agreed in October 2023 to sell online through THE ICONIC from early 2024, its first move into Australia
  2. Supply chain at Sosandar (Retail Week Prospect) · search the archive · Designed in-house; manufacturing outsourced to subcontractors in India, China, Turkey and Spain (undated)
  3. Sosandar Dresses, Tailoring & Chic Clothing (THE ICONIC) · search the archive · THE ICONIC runs a Sosandar brand page for Australian online shoppers

Published by Sosandar or its owner

  1. Modern Slavery Statement FY2026 (Sosandar) · search the archive · 54 suppliers, 87 Tier 1 factories in 12 countries incl. China, India, Vietnam, Turkey; all Tier 1 audited (SMETA/BSCI); 100% leather from LWG Gold/Silver tanneries
  2. CSR and Modern Slavery (Sosandar investors) · search the archive · Suppliers must follow the ETI Base Code; factories audited every 12-24 months via SMETA and BSCI; oversight by Head of Sourcing
  3. Business model (Sosandar investors) · search the archive · Own-label products designed in-house, made by long-term manufacturers in different territories; Next and M&S among top partners

Company details

Headquarters
United Kingdom
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Sosandar ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sosandar, 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

15 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: GlamCorner and Blue Spinach and 13 more · See them allGoodThe Social StudioClothing & footwearSocial enterprise fashion labelIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities4 starsThe Social OutfitClothing & footwearSydney-made social enterprise fashionIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice3 starsbassikeMissing: 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 verified

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

See every everyday fashion brand

Something missing or wrong?

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

Send evidenceSend a right of reply