Free People

Free People is owned by URBN.

Free People's rating applies to the Free People house apparel brand only and doesn’t apply to other product categories. Check the individual ratings to learn about the other brands that Free People stocks.

Our “Planet” rating evaluates brands based on the environmental policies in their supply chains, from carbon emissions and wastewater to business models and product circularity. Here we rate Free People “Not Good Enough”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

• It uses some lower-impact materials, however it does not publish an aggregate breakdown of materials used.
• There’s no evidence it’s taking actions to protect biodiversity in its supply chain.
• There’s no evidence it’s taking meaningful action to reduce water use.
• It trains its designers to improve the circularity of its products.

Workers’ rights are central to our “People” rating, which assess brands’ policies and practices on everything from child labour to living wages and gender equality. Here we rate Free People “Very Poor”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

• Some of its final stage is located in low risk countries or certified facilities, however it does not publish an aggregate breakdown of suppliers.
• There’s no evidence it provides financial security to its suppliers, which can result in poor working conditions and wages.
• There’s no evidence it supports diversity and inclusion in its supply chain.
• Its Code of Conduct covers ILO principles.
• There’s no evidence it ensures workers are paid living wages in its supply chain.
• During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it did not disclose adequate policies or safeguards to protect workers in its supply chain from the virus.

Brands’ animal welfare policies and, where applicable, how well they trace their animal-derived products are the focus of our “Animals” rating. Here we rate Free People “Not Good Enough”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

• It appears to use leather, wool, cashmere, and decorative exotic feather.
• It doesn’t appear to use fur, angora, exotic animal skin, shearling, alpaca, mohair, or down.
• It’s published a general statement about minimising animal suffering but not a formal animal welfare policy.

Based on all publicly available information we’ve reviewed, we rate Free People “Not Good Enough” overall.