Hugo Boss

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 Hugo Boss “It’s a Start”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

• It uses some lower-impact materials including recycled materials.
• It’s set a target to eliminate hazardous chemicals after 2025 and claims it’s on track.
• It’s published a biodiversity protection policy that applies to some of its supply chain.
• It’s set a science based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both its direct operations and supply chain but there’s no evidence it is on track.

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 Hugo Boss “It’s a Start”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

• Its social auditing program is certified by Fair Labor Association (FLA).
• It received a score of 41-50% in the 2022 Fashion Transparency Index.
• It has a comprehensive policy to support diversity and inclusion in its direct operations but not in its supply chain.
• It claims to have a program to improve wages but there’s no evidence it ensures its workers are paid living wages in most of its supply chain.
• It’s taken insufficient steps to remediate its links to cotton sourced from Xinjiang, a region in China at risk of Uyghur forced labour.

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 Hugo Boss “It’s a Start”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

• It has a formal policy aligned with the Five Freedoms of animal welfare but no clear implementation mechanisms in place.
• It appears to use leather, shearling, exotic animal hair, and silk.
• It states that it sources wool from non-mulesed sheep.
• Responsible Down Standard certifies the down it uses.
• It doesn’t appear to use fur, angora, or exotic animal skin.
• It traces some animal-derived materials to the first production stage.

Based on all publicly available information we’ve reviewed, we rate Hugo Boss “It’s a Start” overall.