The Kooples
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Paris label selling ready-to-wear and leather jackets.
We couldn't confirm where The Kooples makes most of its Parisian rock-style ready-to-wear and leather.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
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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 a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably 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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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, leather and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton and leather
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably 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
We couldn't confirm where The Kooples makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
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.
- Doesn't show where its leather comes from. Leather is linked to hazardous tannery work and forced labour on some cattle ranches, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses cashmere 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 The Kooples publishes no supplier list, country breakdown, audit results or modern slavery statement. It offers product-by-product traceability pages (built with Fairly Made to meet French AGEC labelling law), but does not summarise where its clothes are made; individual items have been reported as made in India. Good On You says its final stage of production is in countries at high risk of labour abuse and finds no evidence of living wages. No living wage commitment or independent certification covering its range has been found. Leather, wool and cashmere are used.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- The Kooples - Good On You · search the archive · Owned by Verdoso; partial traceability; final production in high-risk countries; no living wage evidence; uses leather, wool, cashmere
- Verdoso receives approval to acquire The Kooples (FashionUnited, 2025) · search the archive · Verdoso bought The Kooples from MF Brands in 2025; founded 2008; 184 stores in France, 86 in Europe
- AGEC Law as a Springboard to Strengthen CSR - The Kooples (Fairly Made) · search the archive · Known supplier count tripled in a year; 90% of products meet AGEC traceability rules
- Où sont fabriqués les vêtements de ces 5 marques françaises (Marques de France) · search the archive · The Kooples gives the least information on manufacturing countries; an example t-shirt was made in India
Published by The Kooples or its owner
- Rapport de traçabilité - The Kooples / Fairly Made · search the archive · Product-by-product traceability links by reference, updated September 2026; no overall country summary
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is The Kooples ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/the-kooples, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded everyday fashion
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 The Kooples.