Shein: Exploring the Dark Side of Fast Fashion in 2023

The Truth of Fast Fashion

Fast fashion has taken over the world, there’s no doubt. It’s no secret the multimillionaire industry has managed to expand across the globe maintaining a steady growth over the past years. 

Currently, Shein manufactures over six thousand items every day as a result of the industry’s success. Among which you can find black tape-in hair extensions and a vast variety of clothing and even household items.

The success behind these fast fashion brands –with production overseas– is mostly linked to affordable prices, trendy designs and strong marketing.

Shein, Zara, H&M, Forever21 and other fast fashion brands continue to base most of their marketing strategies on the popularity of influencers and celebrities. The so-called try on hauls, consisting mainly of showcasing different outfits online, have spread Shein popularity since the pandemic Covid-19. 

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Truth is the fast fashion industry continues to grow amid allegations of poor working conditions and concerns about the environmental impact of massive textile production.

Inconsistent working conditions, use of hazardous materials, constant hiding and lying to the public and much more is behind the success of Shein. Let’s get straight to it.

Allegations Against Shein

A Wired investigation, from 2022, revealed that around 12% of the manufacturing facilities of Shein had committed some sort of violation against the labor force, including underage labor, forced labor, or severe health and safety issues. 

Another report, released by the Swiss watchdog Public Eye, supported this statement, and even said Shein committed serious violations to the Chinese labor regulations. 

Furthermore, a documentary titled Inside the Shein Machine: UNTOLD, aired on the British public broadcaster Channel 4 in October 2022, showed images supporting the allegations of violations within the workplace.

The researchers deployed a group of spies to China to look into the facilities of Shein. The goal behind the documentary was to reveal what is actually happening behind those closed doors, as Shein has remained extremely cautious and private.

One of the shocking findings of Channel 4 had to do with the employees’ payment, as Shein apparently did not pay employees during the first month, which resulted in more than 500 clothing pieces sewed daily before receiving their first paycheck. 

According to the documentary, despite Shein being one of the most successful fast fashion brands, the payment for employees is roughly 4,000 Yuan (about $556) per employee.

Throughout the documentary, the audience is exposed to very extreme work conditions. Working schedules ranging from 17 to 18 hours often portrayed a tough reality behind the tons of clothing Shein so proudly enhances in try on hauls.

Many define these poor working conditions as modern times slavery.

Truth is the accusations expose working conditions against labor regulation in many countries. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre claims that despite being accused of the same infractions repeatedly, Shein appears to remain unbothered.

Shein keeps up with the allegations with the confidence of being the quickest in the game. Its success continues to take the brand to expand its customers even more. Although claims persist, sales keep growing.

In light of these allegations, Shein has claimed, “We know we have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of workers in our supply chain. In light of the recent report in the news, we launched an investigation into the claim that 2 of our suppliers had unacceptable working conditions at their facilities”.

Influencer Brand Trip: An Attempt to Rehabilitate Shein 

In early June Shein got involved in —yet again— a mediatic scandal. A few influencers joined Shein in a campaign aimed to alleviate concerns regarding the brand’s manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou, China, as there have been previous reports of labor exploitation.

The influencers trip was quickly called out by the public as propaganda. Users of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube saw images of what appeared to be an orchestrated fabric under the name of “Innovation Center” with nothing but high technology and happy workers.

The videos and posts shared a positive narrative aimed to showcase a healthy work environment, luxurious facilities, and a keen eye for detail in quality processes.

Some of the influencers even claimed to have received positive feedback of the working conditions of Shein from its very own workers. This was perceived as a clear attempt to deny the negative “rumors” surrounding poor working conditions within manufacturing branches of Shein.

Social media users quickly started to question the decision of influencers to participate in a brand trip with Shein after there have been multiple reports alleging labor violations, poor working conditions, possible use of hazardous materials, and a significant impact into the climate crisis—all of which Shein has repeatedly denied or promised to address.

In response to the scandalous allegations, a spokesperson from the brand claimed: “Shein is committed to transparency, and this trip reflects one way in which we are listening to feedback, providing an opportunity to show a group of influencers how Shein works through a visit to our innovation center and enabling them to share their own insights with their followers”.

Cheap Fashion at a High Cost

Simply put, Shein is nothing but sustainable. Its high production model comes with rough consequences. 

Shein produces a tremendous volume of products daily. Each item is only made in tiny quantities, between 50 and 100 pieces every day, according to Molly Miao, CEO of Shein, before it gains popularity and is then mass-produced. 

However, Synthetics Anonymous 2.0, a report on fashion sustainability, claims that the manufacturers’ rapid use of virgin polyester and significant oil consumption produces as much CO2 as about 180 coal-fired power plants.

This massive production severely impacts the environment.

Shein emits around 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, well below the 45% objective set by the U.N. for global carbon emissions reduction by 2030.

More than 10% of carbon emissions are often attributable to the fashion business. Many companies that have signed the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, the industry’s premier climate initiative led by the U.N., have pledged to either cut emissions in half by the end of the decade or to set reduction goals that are supported by scientific data.

Shein has previously stated it would invest $7.6 million in a relationship with the charity Apparel Impact Institute, which works with manufacturers to develop and implement energy efficiency plans. 

This announcement was received with criticism as the marketing model of Shein embraces and encourages wasteful consumption. By 2030, Shein hopes to cut supply chain emissions by 25%, using renewable energy sources. 

The initiatives include Clean by Design, which aims to cut down on energy, water, and chemical usage in textile production at more than 500 of Shein’s partner facilities, and the Carbon Leadership program, which benchmarks and evaluates carbon impact.

Although Shein has high expectations, the results of these campaigns are uncertain.

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Stolen Designs

Shein has been accused of allegedly stealing designs from independent fashion designers. As of today, at least three different designers have raised their voices against the fast fashion giant.

The Chinese online store was accused of stealing the designers’ creations and selling exact replicas through their website. 

In light of these accusations, one of the lawsuits claims: “Shein has grown rich by committing individual infringements over and over again, as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering, which shows no sign of abating,” “Shein produced, distributed, and sold exact copies of their creative work.”

No More Fast Fashion

We can all agree that the concept of fast fashion should no longer be promoted. The massive and irresponsible consumption of clothing manufactured under questionable conditions is, yet again, a new form of economic and environmental exploitation that is sure to take us to the extreme. 

The environment has already reached an irreversible point globally and it is time to rethink consumption from a responsible perspective with our communities and natural resources.

All that remains is to demand regulations that protect the welfare of employees and consumers, as well as the communities that are home to these maxi-factories. 

Supporting the local market and diverting attention away from these mass consumption campaigns in the form of funny videos on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, is perhaps the stance the world needs to put an end to the hyper-exploitation of natural resources for a like.

Perhaps we should not forget that cheap fashion comes at a high cost.

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