Founded in the 20th century by Christian Dior, Dior has revolutionised womenswear in its own way. The designer is most well known for being the creator of the “New Look”, a modern silhouette at the time, which broke with tradition by emphasising women’s hips and busts.
The maison, which is owned by LVMH, has been dabbling in sustainable fashion: inspired by Dior’s love of gardening, Maria Grazia Chiuri recreated a forest for the Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 runway, promising to replant the trees in the Parisian region after the show.
But is this enough? How ethical is Dior?
Environmental Impact
When it comes to the environment, Dior uses few eco-friendly materials and has set an intensity target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations. However, the brand has not set a supply chain target. Dior complies with its own Restricted Substances List but there is no evidence it has taken meaningful action to eliminate hazardous chemicals. We also found no evidence Dior minimises textile waste. Using some eco-friendly materials alone is not enough and the brand no doubt has the resources available to do better for the planet. For all these reasons we rated Dior’s environmental impact ‘Not Good Enough’.
Labour Conditions
Unfortunately, Dior’s labour rating is also ‘Not Good Enough’. Although its final stage of production is undertaken in medium risk countries for labour abuse, the brand received a score of 21-30% in the Fashion Transparency Index. Dior likely publishes information about its supplier policies, audits, and remediation processes. But it does not publish a comprehensive list of suppliers or information about forced labour, gender equality, or freedom of association. We also found no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. Plus, Dior does not disclose policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19. The “iconic” brand has a long way to go for workers.
Animal Welfare
Dior’s animal rating is ‘Very Poor’, our lowest rating. The brand has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but not a formal animal welfare policy. What’s more, the brand still uses fur, down, leather, wool, exotic animal skin, exotic animal hair, and angora! It traces some animal products to the first stage of production, but again, that’s simply not enough. As material innovations hit the shelves, we hope to see these luxury fashion houses—who can certainly afford it—investing in animal-free options.
Overall Rating: Not Good Enough
Overall, we rate Dior ‘Not Good Enough’. The brand has made small improvements, such as setting a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emission and using some eco-friendly materials. However, the luxury fashion house still needs to reduce its use of harmful chemicals, ensure it pays its workers a living wage, and consider our animal friends. Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information see our How We Rate page and our FAQs. In any case, there’s still clearly a very long road ahead!
Luckily, there are some ‘Good’ and ‘Great’ alternatives to Dior! We recommend these environmentally-conscious luxury brands that offer high quality and beautiful pieces, that are also sustainably and ethically made!
Good Swaps
Ethical alternatives to Dior
