What is the Fashion Transparency Index?

The Fashion Transparency Index (FTI) by Fashion Revolution is a tool to incentivize and push major fashion brands to be more transparent and encourage them to disclose more information about their suppliers, the conditions of their workers, and the supply chain.

The index aims to find solutions so that brands can become more transparent and, therefore, more responsible for their actions.

The intent through the Fashion Transparency Index is to create awareness around the world of fashion, encourage the shift toward responsible consumption, and restore dignity to the entire production chain basing it on an ethical aspect.

250 of the world’s largest fashion brands have been ranked based on public disclosures on environmental and human rights issues.

Let’s start immediately with the “winners”.

Which brands are the highest scoring brands in 2022?

Brands such as Kmart Australia, Target Australia, and OVS got the highest score: 78%.

H&M, The North Face, and Timberland tied with 66%.

What do these data mean?

Fashion Revolution has always stressed that this index does not claim to be a scale for measuring the sustainability of controlled brands but rather a tool for consumers to make more informed choices.

“Transparency is not to be confused with sustainability. However, without transparency, achieving a sustainable, accountable, and fair fashion industry will be impossible.”

1/3 of the brands analyzed fell below 10%

This year the average score was 24% compared to last year, and the progress was only 1%.

It remains alarming that 1/3 of the brands analyzed fell below 10%.

Traceability problem

More brands than ever (48%) are disclosing their first-tier suppliers. However, half still discloses nothing.

By 2022, Fashion Revolution hoped that at least half of the brands would be disclosing their first-tier manufacturing lists.

Yet, this year, brands’ disclosure is once again below 50%, with 48% of brands disclosing their first-tier manufacturers and 46% publishing factory addresses (up from 44% last year).

Publishing the factory address is essential because suppliers will often have similar company names or there may be multiple supplier companies operating in the same facility, which leads to confusion and incomplete or inaccurate supplier information.

28% of brands publish the name of the factory’s parent company, and 39% disclose the types of products or services provided. 

40% of brands disclose the approximate number of workers at each site, up from 36% last year. 

Data for lack of transparency:

• Only 25% of brands report risk assessments related to water consumption in their supply chain;
• 85% of brands do not report their annual production volumes.
• Only 29% disclose verified decarbonization targets by the Science-Based Targets Initiative covering the entire supply chain;
• 96% do not publish the number of workers in their supply chain who receive a living wage;
• Only 11% of companies publish a responsible code of conduct.

Textile industry:

• Despite textiles being the largest source of microplastics in the ocean, only 24% of brands report how they minimize the impact of dispersion;
• To combat greenwashing, 45% of the brands analyzed publish their goals on sustainable materials. However, only 37% provide information on what it means to use a sustainable material;
• Most brands talk about social justice on their channels, but only 8% publish what are doing to achieve racial and ethnic equality in their fashion supply chains.

Despite these figures, The Fashion Transparency Index by Fashion Revolution highlights that in 7 years, there has been greater involvement:

“In 2016, only 5 out of 40 major brands revealed who their suppliers were. Seven years later, 121 of 250 brands make their suppliers public”. – Carry Somers, Fashion Revolution Co-founder, and Global Operations Director.

How to achieve full transparency for your company?

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If you want to know more about our transparency solution instead, click here to book a 30-minute demo with us.