Stradivarius
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Inditex women's fast-fashion brand.
There's no proof Stradivarius pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. 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 rights66% of its products are made in countries such as China and Türkiye, 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 confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksUnconfirmed reports of forced and child labour are listed below. They don't affect the grade.
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
China has the largest share, 27%. Morocco is next, at 16%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 27% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Morocco | 16% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Türkiye | 14% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Bangladesh | 11% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Portugal | 8% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety Source
- Modern slavery statement
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- 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 doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Stradivarius's clothes are made by the same independent suppliers Inditex uses for all its brands, and Inditex reports supplier numbers by country rather than by brand; the shares shown are Inditex's 2023 supplier counts. Inditex signed the International Accord and has a global union agreement with IndustriALL. Oxfam says it has committed to a living wage within a set timeframe but does not publish factory names and addresses, and there is no evidence that workers making Stradivarius clothes earn a living wage.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Owner Inditex scored 61 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 66 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Inditex scored 50% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index (rated through Zara); later editions assess climate disclosure only. View |
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Inditex scored 38 out of 100 in the 2023 KnowTheChain apparel and footwear benchmark, against an average of 21. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Listed | Inditex scored 60.3 out of 100 in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Inditex's Australian modern slavery statements, lodged through Group Zara Australia Pty Limited. View |
| Fair Wear | Not listed | Inditex is not a Fair Wear member. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Inditex's profile tracks 37 response requests with a 95% response rate, including Lucky Fortune Garment in Myanmar, reported to supply Stradivarius. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Workers at Lucky Fortune Garment in Myanmar, reported to supply Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Zara, alleged excessive targets that left them unable to drink water, child workers held to adult targets and denied medical leave; Inditex responded to the claims (BHRRC, 2024). Source
- Workers at Qi Cai garment factory in Myanmar, reported to supply Stradivarius, alleged forced overnight and unpaid overtime, pressure to join a workers' committee instead of a union and withheld wages during a temporary closure; Inditex said it found no evidence the factory was in its supply chain (BHRRC, 2023). Source
- The Turkish union Öz İplik İş accused Eroğlu Giyim, a supplier to Inditex, H&M and PVH, of threatening workers with dismissal to stop a strike in April 2026; Inditex did not comment (ESG Dive, 2026). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Inditex – Shop Ethical! (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Inditex 61/100 (avg 31.5); covers Bershka, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius; KTC 2023 38; CHRB 2026 60.3; living wage pledge
- Myanmar: ongoing labour rights abuses reported at Lucky Fortune Garment factory – BHRRC · search the archive · 2024 claims of excessive targets and child workers at a Myanmar factory linked to Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Zara; Inditex responded
- How ethical is Stradivarius? – Good On You · search the archive · Uses leather without stating its origin; labour rated 'Not Good Enough'; does not ensure a living wage
- 35 global brands and retailers have now signed the Pakistan Accord – International Accord · search the archive · Inditex signed the International Accord and its Pakistan Accord
- Más India y Marruecos, menos China: Inditex reduce su dependencia del gigante asiático – Modaes · search the archive · Inditex 2023 suppliers: China 367, Morocco 216, Türkiye 186, Bangladesh 150, Spain 138, India 122, Portugal 114, Pakistan 69
- Stradivarius debuts in the US and Australia with Asos partnership – FashionNetwork · search the archive · Stradivarius is sold to Australian shoppers online through ASOS; no Australian stores
- Investors push Zara owner Inditex to publish full supply chain (Reuters via Fast Company, 11 Mar 2024) · search the archive · Inditex publishes supplier counts for 12 core countries but no names or locations of individual factories; its list goes only to IndustriALL
Company details
- Owned by
- Inditex
- Headquarters
- Spain
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Stradivarius ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/stradivarius, 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 allGoodKuwaii (clothing)Missing: a full independent supply chain audit, where its earlier stages happen and 2 more · Clothing & footwearMelbourne-made womenswear and footwearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedFilippa KMissing: living wage proof and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearScandinavian minimalist fashionPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerifiedMascaróMissing: where its earlier stages happen and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearHandmade Spanish leather shoesPays 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 shoes 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 shoes. 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 Stradivarius.