September 19th, 2024

New Zealand fashion brands fall short on supply chain transparency, says Oxfam report

The report, part of the 'What She Makes' campaign, analysed supply chain transparency ratings for six of New Zealand's leading fashion brands based on publicly available consumer data.

Oxfam report: Oxfam's report credits these brands' high scores to the extent of transparency they provide, including comprehensive lists of their Tier 1 factories, their locations, and data about their workers.
Oxfam report: Oxfam's report credits these brands' high scores to the extent of transparency they provide, including comprehensive lists of their Tier 1 factories, their locations, and data about their workers.

An influential report released yesterday by Oxfam Aotearoa reveals that some prominent New Zealand clothing brands are not meeting international standards for supply chain transparency. Despite these standards becoming increasingly commonplace in Australia and Europe, local brands, including popular names like Glassons and Hallenstein Bros, have been found wanting.

The report, part of the 'What She Makes' campaign, analysed supply chain transparency ratings for six of New Zealand's leading fashion brands based on publicly available consumer data. While some brands, like Kathmandu and Macpac, received full five-star ratings, Glassons and Hallenstein Bros only managed a two-star rating.

"Well-known fashion brands have really stepped up for this milestone," said Shalomi Daniel, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Campaign Lead for Gender and Economic Justice. "We're thrilled to see New Zealand founded brands and household names Kathmandu and Macpac performing equally as well as large multinational brands H&M and Lululemon, all of whom received a full five-star rating."

Oxfam's report credits these brands' high scores to the extent of transparency they provide, including comprehensive lists of their Tier 1 factories, their locations, and data about their workers.

Contrarily, Daniel expressed disappointment that "Glassons and Hallenstein Bros have chosen not to share the most updated transparency information with their customers. Through not meeting all our basic criteria, unfortunately they received only a two-star rating. We hope to see them improve this as soon as possible."

Customers are increasingly expecting their favourite brands to be upfront about the origins of their clothes. According to Daniel, "Transparency is the foundation of an ethical supply chain – it allows workers, unions, and groups of people like us to scrutinise the working conditions of these factories and ensure that women who make our clothes are treated and paid fairly."

The call for improved transparency comes in the wake of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster, where several international fashion brands discovered their workers had been killed only when their logos were found in the rubble. In the aftermath, it became clear that some brands didn't even know where their garments were being made.

As part of the ongoing 'What She Makes' campaign, Oxfam Aotearoa is striving to ensure that women working in the garment industry in countries like Bangladesh and China are paid a living wage. The next milestone will be for brands to separate labour costs in price setting and negotiation, expected to take place next year.