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The Shein "factory tour" is the company's latest marketing campaign, it is meant to combat its many scandals. Journalists and activists alike have called them out for years because of their overproduction, causing extreme harm to our environment and its labour abuse. This company has single handily created a new subsection of fast fashion...
ultra-fast fashion.
In 2022, the documentary Inside the Shein Machine: UNTOLD put Shein's business practices on full display, most importantly, it filmed their manufacturing. The doc sent an undercover agent, with a hidden camera, into a Shein factory showing the world first-hand footage of its labour abuse. This prompted backlash from Shein customers and allowed Slow Fashion activists to explain their piece rate pay.
To combat this negative press, Shein harnessed the people who had
helped bring them to the masses; influencers. They paid six to come to China and walk through a staged factory, where they saw the process of a
garment being sewn from start to finish. The job of these influencers
was to document what they say and go back and spread the message
"it is ok to shop with Shein" to their followers.
*a note: they toured one factory, Shein uses up to 6000 factories.
Right away activists and journalists called this campaign what it was, propaganda. People saw through the lies and misdirection Shein
used to avoid talking about their overproduction, violation of labour laws,
and workers' welfare. Keep in mind that brand trips like this are
exclusive and have been criticized for their lack of diversity, yet Shein selected marginalized influencers to cover their sins. Aja Barber,
a slow fashion activist asked the important question,
why does diversity come when you are greenwashing?
I never believe customers are to blame, change must come from the top down, but without governments putting regulations and laws in place these
companies will continue to feed us lies to cover their sins.
Learn How to Spot Greenwashing
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