Living Wage Statement
Living Wage Statement
Our framework, our current state, and our 2026 commitments.
A living wage is not a generosity. It is the minimum income a worker needs to afford a decent standard of living for themselves and their family — food, housing, healthcare, education, transport, and a small margin for the unexpected. We believe paying it is the price of being a luxury brand worth the name.
The definition we use
We adopt the definition developed by the Global Living Wage Coalition and the Anker Methodology, which is the most widely accepted independent framework for calculating living wages in international supply chains.
— Global Living Wage Coalition
This is the definition we hold ourselves and our partners against. It is meaningfully higher than statutory minimum wages in most countries.
Where we are today
We will not claim a state we have not yet reached. Here is the honest picture:
Our production partner
Every Mariana Malni bag is hand-crafted in the United Arab Emirates by Cuoio Italian Leather Industry, our long-term production partner since 2023. Cuoio operates under UAE labour law and the country's Wage Protection System (WPS), which electronically monitors timely payment of wages to all registered employees. All Cuoio artisans working on Mariana Malni production are paid through this system, in full and on time.
What we know
- Wages at our production partner meet or exceed UAE legal requirements
- Payment is timely, electronic, and verifiable through the WPS
- No disciplinary wage deductions are permitted
- No part of the workforce is paid in kind, in cash off-system, or below the WPS-monitored rate
What we have not yet measured
We have not yet conducted a formal benchmarking exercise comparing artisan wages against the Anker Methodology living wage figure for the UAE. Without that measurement, we cannot honestly claim every worker in our supply chain earns a living wage — only that they are paid lawfully and on time. We are correcting this through the commitment below.
Our 2026 commitments
- Q3 2026 — Benchmark. Commission or source an Anker-aligned living wage benchmark for the United Arab Emirates production context. Compare it transparently to current Cuoio artisan compensation for Mariana Malni production.
- Q4 2026 — Gap closure plan. If any gap exists between current wages and the living wage benchmark, publish a written plan to close it, with a timeline and accountability owner.
- 2027 — Annual reporting. Publish an annual living wage progress note as part of our Code of Conduct review.
- Material suppliers. Extend the same benchmarking exercise to Vegea S.r.l. (Italy), our Tuscan tannery (Italy), and Nona Source (France) — noting that EU living wage benchmarks are typically met or exceeded by lawful pay in these jurisdictions, but verification matters.
Why we publish this before it is complete
It would be easier to write "we pay a living wage throughout our supply chain" and hope nobody asks for the methodology. Many brands do exactly that. We do not, for two reasons.
First, an unverified claim is a lie until it is verified. Our customers deserve better. Auditors who rate brands on sustainability deserve evidence, not assertion.
Second, the publication of this commitment, with dates, makes it harder for us to quietly drop it. That is the point.
Questions and reporting
If you have questions about our living wage framework, or you are a worker in our supply chain who wishes to raise a concern about wages, please write directly to the founder: mariana@marianamalni.com. All correspondence is confidential. We commit to investigating reported concerns within 14 days, and to ensuring that no retaliation occurs against any party who raises a concern in good faith.
Current as of 23 May 2026.
Next review: Q3 2026.
Mariana Malni, Founder.
Paget — Italian Leather
