Other times Shein has blatantly copied independent designer's designs and ALSO copied the model and the styling: Check out designer Mariama Diallo's tweet below: Not only does the dress look the same, but the model is also black. Don't think it's a coincidence?
I initially thought Shein was only stealing from fashion designers, as they mostly focus on fashion. But it turns out they also take art from illustrators, digital artists and even painters. They put the artwork on products like sweaters, phone cases and wall prints.
The fast-fashion company has come under fire for accusations of mistreatment of Uyghurs, a marginalized group in China, and for allegedly falsifying reports of forced or underpaid labor of its supplier factories, some of which are allegedly located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
The Chinese ultra-fast fashion website Shein has been accused of copying designs by high street rival Zara after dozens of images were shared on social media showing virtually identical garments from the two outlets.
Under the name Zoetop Business, it was sued by dozens of independent artists and retailers including Nike (NKE. N), Deckers' (DECK. N) UGG brand, Luxottica Group's Oakley shades and online retailer Dolls Kill, alleging stolen designs.
Shein often notes that they have a code of conduct that they expect their factories to keep. They insist that this code of conduct ensures no child, slave, or underpaid labor and that it meets all labor laws.
The documentary reported Shein garment workers are paid as little as four cents per clothing item in work shifts that can last up to 18 hours.
The country's copyright system provides protection for garments and accessories. The same type of protection also applies to Italian designs. So, it is within these loopholes that retailers like Zara, Forever 21, H&M, and the like can operate legally (for the most part) and profit from the designs of others.
Faulty items, the company says, are either sold through its Clearance operation or donated to charity. Inditex, the parent company of Zara, says it focuses on reducing stock levels to cut down excess inventory, through short production runs and its proximity manufacturing model.
Group pushing lawmakers to investigate fast fashion company Shein's labor practices. A group of legislators wrote to the SEC about concerns last week. WASHINGTON — There's a growing movement on Capitol Hill to shut down fast fashion company SHEIN over labor, trade, and data concerns.
The pressure to comply with the immense output demanded by Shein falls squarely on the shoulders of exploited Chinese garment workers. The company has violated Chinese labor laws, forcing 75-hour work weeks on its employees, far over the 40-hour legal limit.
Shein launched an investigation after U.K. Channel Four documentary Untold: Inside The Shein Machine alleged that workers were subject to 16-hour-long days, got one day off a month, and earned wages of around 4,000 yuan ($572) per month to produce hundreds of garments for the online retailer each day.
Estimates are that over the last two years, Shein has been sued at least 50 times for trademark and copyright infringement, often choosing to settle with plaintiffs rather than defend its practices.
Chris Xu, the founder and billionaire behind the company, primarily owns SHEIN. SHEIN leverages a real-time retail business model, where fashion trends are created out of social media platforms like TikTok, which are quickly turned around as products available for shopping online.
Whether it's Gucci, Prada, Céline, Alexander Wang, Tom Ford or Sibling, Spanish high-street giants Zara are frequently at the centre of copy-cat battles. Unquestionably the most notorious culprits for mimicking high-end designers, the brand claim that they don't copy, but instead modify.
At the time CCC stated that: "It is Zara's responsibility to know who is making their clothes". "According to the code of conduct that they have signed up to, they are responsible for everyone involved in the supply chain. It is up to them to do the monitoring."
In 2020, global fashion brand Zara was sued by a smaller luxury label, Amiri, for copying a design of jeans without permission to use the design that included pleated leather panelling and zippers around the knee; after which the two brands decided to settle.
Romwe and Shein are actually owned by the same parent company, so you'll find a nearly identical marketplace there. As such, it's one of the most similar shops that offers of-the-moment pieces for those on a budget.
Temu is Shein's new ultra fast fashion competitor.
When it comes to Shein, you are paying for low quality, fast fashion. This isn't always a bad thing. Shein takes popular, trendy, higher-end items and makes a lower quality version of them for a much lower price point.
The company mainly sourced its clothing from China's wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou. However, Shein became a fully integrated retailer in 2014 when it secured its supply chain system. Now, the company utilizes a network of manufacturing partners and suppliers to make and deliver its products.
It doesn't matter how many followers you have or if you just started content creation. While Shein will want to work with established personalities on social media, they also want to work with their devoted customers. So don't be afraid to apply if you don't have a specific niche or strong social media presence.
The working conditions in the factories that make SHEIN's apparel are also a cause for concern. In developing nations, where labour rules are frequently laxer and workers may receive extremely cheap wages, many of the factories are situated.