Why Shein’s recent influencer ‘factory tour’ feels like a dystopian nightmare

“A very small, highly polished piece of the wider manufacturing pie.”

Verging eerily into Hunger Games Capitol-tour territory, Shein’s latest marketing move may be the most concerning one yet. This past week, the Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant took a group of TikTok influencers on a brand trip to visit several of its Guangzhou factories. Shein has come under fire for its alleged labour abuses, unethical business practices and environmental destruction (to name a few) – so why were influencers “excited and impressed” by the company’s working conditions?

With a little context, the answer is simple. In the 2022 Channel 4 documentary titled Inside the Shein Machine: Untold, an undercover worker was sent inside two of the Guangzhou factories that supply clothing to Shein. Hidden cameras revealed workers pulling 18-hour days to be paid the equivalent of 30 to 50 Australian cents per garment. Factory employees were found washing their hair on breaks and suffered heavy monetary penalties for mistakes made on clothing items.

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But even before the Channel 4 documentary confirmed suspicions, there was bubbling internet discussion about Shein’s enormous product output (between 2,000 and 10,000 items a day between January and December 2021, according to Time magazine) and worryingly low prices. Gen Z TikTok has become synonymous with ‘Shein hauls’; mass unboxings in which shoppers excitedly rip open plastic bags full of micro-trendy clothing.

@elodie_frnds Big big haul @SHEIN ☀️💓 #haul #shein #ootd ♬ Cheap Thrills-Sia Sean Paul – Ellen’s Betta

As Jack Seale wrote for The Guardian, Shein’s “clothes are priced so competitively, customers don’t mind if they only wear them once or not at all”. But they should. Fashion production makes up 10 per cent of global carbon emissions and 85 per cent of all textiles are dumped as waste every year. With an economic valuation higher than Zara and H&M combined, it’s safe to assume Shein is not helping the situation.

What makes the fast fashion giant such an aggressive competitor is its use of outsourcing. While the ‘innovation centre’ shown in last week’s TikTok may be a Shein-owned building, the company uses outsourcing to produce its clothes in generic wholesale factories and keep costs low. In short, we can assume what was shown during the ‘Shein On the Road’ propaganda press tour was a very small, highly polished piece of the wider manufacturing pie.

@shein_us Get a glimpse of the process of how your purchases are packaged directly from our facility and delivered to your doorstep. Watch as our partners discover the cutting-edge tech that streamlines our operations and receive a hands-on experience in packaging. Stay tuned to the #SHEIN101 series to learn more of what goes on behind the scenes at #SHEIN #SHEINOnTheRoad ♬ original sound – SHEINUS

One of the influencers on the trip, a plus-sized fashion creator who goes by Dani DMC, told viewers she had seen “the exact process” behind Shein clothing during her innovation centre and headquarters visit. “I’ve seen how it’s designed, how it’s made and now I’m going to see how it’s packaged and shipped off,” she said. In another video, an influencer named Destene said a lot of the workers were “confused with the child labour questions”, and enjoyed a work schedule that included a nap after lunch.

Dani, who confirmed in a video she was paid by Shein (as opposed to it being a free trip in exchange for coverage), described the perception of the brand in the US as “rumours”. While walking through the largely automated Shein innovation centre, Destene remarked workers “weren’t even sweating” (likely a reference to those “rumours”). Accompanied by a video of a megaphone-wielding Shein employee walking the group through the pristine innovation centre, the words felt like a carefully written manifesto.

@itsdestene_ Replying to @Melanin 👸🏿 Codi👑 im thoroughly enjoying this experience and seeing things with my own eyes 🫶🏾 @SHEINUS #SHEIN101 #SHEINOnTheRoad #desteneandbrandon ♬ original sound – Destene and Brandon

It’s important to note this conversation is not without nuance. Throughout her multiple TikTok videos about the brand trip, Dani spoke fervently about Shein’s support of plus-sized creators. And when it comes to fashion, particularly ethical fashion, there’s undoubtedly a certain privilege afforded to those who can fit into widely accessible ‘straight sizes’.

Whatever way you look at it, fast fashion brands are undoubtedly doing a better job at catering to the plus-sized market. But there’s a reason Shein has received Good On You’s lowest rating. Parting wisdom: Be an informed consumer, trust your instincts (if it seems shady, it probably is) and if you can, please shop slow fashion.

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