Shein's dishonest designs
- Lola Lagamson
- Feb 13, 2023
- 3 min read
Article by Lola Lagamson Graphics by Eline Gonzaga
February 13, 2022
𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.
Shein is a big fish in the fashion industry. Having surpassed Zara as the world’s top
clothing retailer, the company made a name for itself, raising the question of how this Chinese fashion merchandiser has suddenly climbed to the top. Let’s look into the core elements of its success.
Shein’s marketing aims at a wide range of audiences (ranging from teenagers to adults) interested in fashion. Like other brands, they hire brand ambassadors to advertise their products. Netizens would see Tiktok or Instagram fashion enthusiasts and influencers trying on different clothes and posting content like “Try On Hauls”, “GWRMs”, and tutorials. The audience will see the overwhelming amount of Shein products, eventually persuading them to purchase.
But fashion trends change quickly. So to keep up with the trends, Shein constructed their business model by producing “fast fashion". They take trendy designs and manufacture them in bulk to take advantage of the trend, then quickly deliver it to their customers, making Shein known for having stylish, up-to-date, and cheap clothes.
However, behind this success comes a dark secret. Aside from the infamous side effects of fast fashion like pollution and unethical labor, Shein is also involved in the scandal of design theft.
𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬.
Shein has to generate a variety of clothing to satisfy their customers.
Within Shein’s vast choices of different products are stolen designs from other businesses and designers.
On the 23rd of January this year, fitness entrepreneur Cassey Ho Vinh, popularly known under “Blogilates”, posted on her website that Shein copied one of her designs. Cassey created a skort back in 2021 called the POPFLEX Pirouette Skort and showed that she posted the design and production process online before Shein’s release. She then provided photos that the company did copy her skort design and even their marketing photos.
Unfortunately, she is just one of the many designers Shein copied from. Cassey also enumerated smaller designers and businesses who fell victim to Shein’s unethical business practices, such as Mariama Diallo with her brown dress, Baiia with their swimwear, etc.
Cassey explained that Shein benefits from selling their stolen designs at a lower price than the original. They can sell it at a lower rate because, unlike the original designers, Shein did not spend on pre-production costs, nor did they take the risk of creating a new design since the stolen ones already went viral. Cassey also mentioned Shein’s underpaid and overworked employees. She informed the readers that original designs cost more because of quality control, unlike Shein which uses cheap alternatives.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭?
Exposing Shein's ethics gives smaller designers a voice and makes people aware of this occurrence. This is why spreading awareness and educating consumers on this matter is vital. Support independent designers and small businesses by purchasing their products or engaging with their social media pages. They deserve to achieve success and get recognition as the designers produced these products with passion and integrity.
As Cassey writes, “Shein likes to take from smaller brands because they know we don’t have the power or the money to fight them. (...) Remember, in the end, the only language Shein understands is money. And if we stop giving them our dollars, we will begin to take the power back into our own hands.”
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬:
Ho Vinh C. (2023). Shein stole my design so I’m spilling all the tea and it’s PIPING HOT.
Goldfingle G. (2022). Best of 2022: How did Shein become the world’s biggest fashion retailer?
DaxueConsulting. (2022). Shein’s market strategy: how the Chinese fashion brand is conquering the West.
Valliappan A. (2022). Why is SHEIN successful?
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