If you think fast fashion is bad, check out SHEIN

There's fast fashion – and then there's SHEIN. The Chinese fashion giant is taking what we thought was already bad to new extremes. They produce ultra-cheap clothes at ultra-fast speed, creating an ultra-big hype on social media. But how do they do it?

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#PlanetA #FastFashion #SHEIN

Reporter: Beina Xu
Camera: Henning Goll
Video editor: Thomas Rosenberg
Supervising editor: Joanna Gottschalk, Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann

Read more:

SHEIN, the TikTok of e-commerce:

The shady labour practices underpinning SHEINS global fashion empire:

00:00 Intro
01:01 What is SHEIN?
03:27 How does SHEIN do it?
05:10 Environmental impact
06:43 Gen Z's climate commitment
08:01 What does the future bode for SHEIN?

[DWPlanetA]

Have you heard of SHEIN, or have you shopped there yourself?

[jonathanmelhuish]

For me, the question is: how can we help young people to accept themselves and be resistant to this toxic consumerist manipulation?

[corneliadorweiler]

I absolutely agree to the conclusions drawn here: With every purchase we make a decision that impacts on nature and society. I'd rather buy less clothes, but of good quality so that I can wear them for years.

[vesislavaofficial]

I'm guilty of being a SHEIN consumer. I started a few years back when they were not well known. I was shocked by the low prices and fast delivery. I loved it, absolutely loved the possibility to have a new outfit every week. In the last 1 month I stumbled upon a few youtube documentaries on fast fashion and SHEIN in particular. After the first documentary I withdraw all the money off my SHEIN wallet and deleted the app. Honestly... it's a bit addicting. I used to scroll the new clothes before going to bed. Kinda miss that but I'm okay with putting an end to it.

[fairuzianatakusuma]

Zara, H&M and Uniqlo are considered fast fashion, yet here in my country it’s still considered to be quite expensive. Although definitely not a high-end product, it’s mid to upper level for sure.

[neAutumnLeaf]

“We are students…low on funds” yet I can see a bag strap with the LV monogram all over it

Let’s face it, majority of people who are buying insane amounts of clothing from any fast fashion brand is doing it to keep up with the trends

When I stopped following trends and found my own personal style that suits me, I found it much much easier to resist buying new clothes every other week. Not only does this save my wallet and the planet, I found yourself much happier with the clothes I have and didn’t have the “I have nothing to wear” feeling anymore

[jwlgoesfishing]

As a designer (of mostly crochet tops and sweaters) it pains me to see that SHEIN steals the designs of other small shops/creators like myself. So far I haven't been hit but many of my friends have. We work so hard on these designs, only to have them get stolen and sold for $7.

[jessip]

An idea, maybe instead of shaming people for buying fast fashion, we instead teach them how to identify quality clothing and how to repair their own clothes instead of tossing them just because a seam bursts.

[bellagrey]

Also remember, clothes from well known fashion brands and that are more expensive not necessarily means good quality or ethically made too. Just stop over consuming clothes and be mindful with what we wear. Don’t follow fashion trends, they just want you to spend!

[codybeasenburg]

Not to mention how Shein routinely steals designs and intellectual property from small designers (particularly minority designers) and outsells them before the designers can even do anything about it

[simbabuu]

The issue is honestly that we overconsume… i know damn well the girl that said „why would i pay more when i can have it for less“ buys clothes regularly every month which SHOULDNT be the norm. You dont need 10000pieces of clothing. We need to get back to the mindset where less is more.

[ellie]

This makes me so angry because the ones who are usually used as scapegoats when it comes to condemning fast fashion are the people who really have no choice. Not everybody has the means and privilege to afford sustainable clothing.
And then there's people doing massive Shein hauls for hundreds or even thousands of bucks, meaning they clearly have the funds to make better, more ethical and sustainable choices but they simply choose not to because doing a massive haul of the latest trends is good content.

[I_Am_Not_Elise]

As a girl in highschool (I live in the Netherlands) who thrifts all of her clothes (everything except for of course underwear and swimwear), I really hate shein. It is not only bad for the environment, but people also don’t KNOW that it is bad. I see more and more clothes from shein in thrift shops and people just aren’t aware enough of the downsides of fast fashion.

[hrani]

To the kids saying they don't have money to buy anything more expensive: just don't. Don't buy it. You don't really need it and it's not worth it. If you want a cheap winter jacket etc, buy second hand, there are mountains of discarded clothes waiting to be recycled or burned

[maya-ccsx]

I’m so glad fast fashion brands like shein were banned in India recently, it’s worth the sacrifice since it will hopefully allow local creators to blossom and lower the demand immensely on the unethical factories that make these clothes

[studyoasis]

I completely agree. Btw Zara and other more expensive clothing stores are still fast fashion too! even though they’re more expensive. Mid/higher end prices doesn’t equal good quality in the U.S ):

[soniahensler]

i am a 13 year old who found shein and got exited by the aesthetic quality of the clothes, my dad then told me all this and i was disgusted by the horrors that some people can do!

[paigeconnelly]

5:08 so not only is SHEIN a shady company, so are designers like Dolce & Gabbana and DKNY?! Just goes to show expensive doesn't mean good either.

[sunnycapri]

The problem wasn't your average person who buy clothes, it's the people who hauls because the price is so cheap and ended up no even wearing them

[SirenRising]

We need to stop treating climate change like it's an individual problem. It's the corporations we need to be talking to, not trying to dish out responsibility to poor/broke people. Katy Perry and the like have no excuse, but MOST people cannot afford to spend $80 on one piece of sustainable clothing.

Edit: U can argue until u turn blue, but the fact is 100 energy companies are responsible for 71% of **ALL** emissions.