Khloé Kardashian, more stars slammed for working with fast fashion brand Shein (2024)

Is Khloé’s latest gig a fashion faux pas?

On Wednesday, Khloé Kardashian announced her partnership with Shein, the Chinese retailer whose affordable clothes are beloved by Gen-Z and ubiquitous on TikTok.

The Good American co-founder will serve as a judge for the brand’s Shein X100KChallenge, a new design competition, alongside celebrity stylist Law Roach, designer Christian Siriano, former J.Crew exec Jenna Lyons and InStyle style director Laurel Pantin.

Emerging designers will get a chance to win a prize of $100,000, along with a chance to be featured in Shein’s Fall/Winter 2021 virtual fashion showcase.

But like many fast fashion retailers, Shein —which adds nearly 1,000 new items to its inventory daily, with most costing less than $10 —has been accused of copying the work of smaller designers and artists.

And fans made their feelings known in the comments of Kardashian’s post. “Is this a joke???? After shein knocks off small designers,” one person wrote, receiving nearly 2,000 likes.

“Shein is one of the most unethical fast fashion brands,” another said. “They steal designs Khloe. Please don’t promote them,” a third chimed in.

Yet another person pointed out the impact of low-priced, trendy styles on our planet, writing, “Fast fashion is bad for the environment —not cute.”

“Shein takes these issues very seriously and respects the intellectual property rights of artists and designers. We have policies and procedures in place to monitor and swiftly rectify any issues,” a representative for the company told Page Six Style.

“Shein X, is an incubator program that was developed to specifically support small independent talents and give them opportunity to grow their revenue streams, gain exposure, and tap a massive Gen Z audience across the globe. The judges who participated in the Shein X 100k Challenge support emerging, small and independent designers and we are all excited to see their designs and creativity come to life on the show.”

Fellow judges Siriano, Roach and Lyons also faced criticism from their followers after posting about their involvement in the project. The “Project Runway” designer simply announced he’d be deleting the negative comments, while Roach wrote, “My Tribe please just watch this when it airs and you will see why I choose to do this!!! I promise you will be proud of me.”

“Happy for you for the partnership, but it had to Shein?!?!?! They’re ripping off so many indie designers, not to talk about the impact on nature and who knows the conditions of the workers….,” one fan of Zendaya’s stylist commented.

Lyons, meanwhile, pointed to the core mission behind the design competition. “The reason I participated – if you are interested – is becausethe ENTIRE PROCESS was designed to support young designers, and all of the contestants were incredibly talented, passionate, and deserving of a chance at winning 100k,” she wrote.

The trendsetter resorted to turning off comments, and asked her followers to “take a look at [the program] and see what you think before jumping to conclusions,” adding that “everyone deserves a second chance.”

Kardashian’s sister Kim has previously clashed with fast fashion brands, calling them out for knocking off clothes she wears within days. She even won nearly $3 million from Missguided after filing a lawsuit accusing the company of using her name and likeness to sell lower-priced copies of various outfits she’s worn.

Khloé is far from the first celebrity to pair up with Shein. In 2020, Katy Perry, Lil Nas X, Rita Ora and Doja Cat performed for the brand’s virtual fashion show, which featured special guests Hailey Baldwin, Storm Reid, Tyler Cameron and more.

And earlier this year, Nick Jonas, Steve Aoki, Maren Morris and more performed for another virtual concert for the company. Both events benefited charity.

Reps for Kardashian didn’t immediately respond to Page Six Style’s request for comment.

Khloé Kardashian, more stars slammed for working with fast fashion brand Shein (2024)

FAQs

Is Khloe Kardashian working with Shein? ›

On Wednesday, Khloé Kardashian announced her partnership with Shein, the Chinese retailer whose affordable clothes are beloved by Gen-Z and ubiquitous on TikTok.

Which celebrities are collaborating with Shein? ›

In collaboration with leading celebrities across the GCC, including Noha Nabil, Diana Akram Gharib, Heba Aldurri & Shahad Hassan, discover three unique styles with the Ramadan 2023 collection – with Najma, Modely and Mulvari.

What is happening with Shein workers? ›

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.

Why is Shein criticized? ›

Critics say its ultralow prices contribute to overconsumption and environmental waste; the retailer says it's focusing more on sustainable solutions. And recently, Shein's connection to China has elicited concerns that the company exploits import laws.

Who is the person behind Shein? ›

Shein (/ˈʃiːɪn/ SHEE-in; styled as SHEIN; Chinese: 希音; pinyin: Xīyīn) is a Chinese online fast fashion retailer headquartered in Singapore. Founded in Nanjing, China in October 2008 as ZZKKO by entrepreneur Chris Xu, Shein grew to become the world's largest fashion retailer as of 2022.

Does Shein pay their models? ›

The estimated total pay for a Model at SHEIN is $23 per hour.

Who is the biggest consumer of Shein? ›

Shein US users

The US is Shein's second largest market by total usage (behind Brazil) and its largest by revenue.

Does Shein pay their influencers? ›

Some handy information: Shein influencers get a flat-rate fee for creating and posting videos from Shein without signing on for a brand lock-in. That means Shein ambassadors can still work with and earn from other brands. Shein may also send freebies to Shein brand ambassadors who effectively promote their products.

How many followers do you need to get sponsored by Shein? ›

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.

How much does Shein pay their worker? ›

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.

Why is Shein shutting down? ›

With their use of Xinjiang cotton, SHEIN is violating Federal Law, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and making American consumers unknowingly complicit. SHEIN's questionable and anticompetitive business practices allow it to sell below market products.

Why do people not support Shein anymore? ›

More violations of the Chinese labour law. Shein workers are paid per item. So the more items they make, the more they get paid. This system encourages employees to work long hours, but this also means that if a garment doesn't pass the quality check, they don't get paid for it.

Why are people upset with Shein? ›

Shein has repeatedly come under fire for just about everything you can do wrong with a company, including poor working conditions, high levels of toxic chemicals in its clothing, copying independent designers' items, and mishandling customer data.

Why are people boycotting Shein? ›

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.

What was the Shein scandal? ›

In 2021, Public Eye launched an investigation into Shein, and the working conditions it uncovered were appalling. Researchers from the organization visited a couple of Shein's supply factories in Guangzhou, where they found employees working 75-hour weeks with hardly any pay.

Is the owner of Shein a billionaire? ›

Xu is the founder and chief executive of Shein Group, the Chinese fashion retailer that was valued at $100 billion in an April 2022 funding round. The online seller was founded in Nanjing, China in 2008 and by 2022 was the largest fast fashion company in the US market. Shein Group had revenue of $22.7 billion in 2022.

Why is Shein clothing so cheap? ›

By outsourcing labor, clothing retailers can cut costs and boost profits by paying workers less. And, when labor costs are cut, product costs can be cut, too, leading to super affordable clothing. In short, Shein produces its clothes in generic wholesale factories to keep its costs at a minimum.

Why is Shein infamous? ›

Fast fashion is notorious for using sweatshops—which subject workers to horrible conditions and long hours for meager pay—as well as child labor. In June 2022, videos went viral on social media claiming that Shein employees were hiding messages in the clothes they produced.

Does Shein use child workers? ›

Does Shein use child labor? Unfortunately the answer is, more than likely. China, like the US, has child labor laws that prohibit employment for children under 16, restrict children from working in hazardous environments, and limit the number of hours children in school can work.

Do celebrities use Shein? ›

Despite the company's environmentally-unconscious practices, exploitation of garment workers, and history of ripping off independent designers, SHEIN managed to attract a slew of influencers and big-name celebrities — including The Weeknd, Normani, Big Sean, Tyga, and, puzzlingly, Casey Affleck — to its desert party.

How much do shein models make a year? ›

The estimated total pay for a Model at SHEIN is $48,225 per year.

How much is the owner of Shein worth? ›

Xu Yangtian, the Co-founder and CEO of Chinese fast fashion company Shein, has a net worth of at least $23.5 billion years after launching the company in 2012, according to Bloomberg.

What is the meaning of Shein? ›

Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname or artificial name from Yiddish sheyn 'fine beautiful'. Compare Schoen . Americanized form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Schein .

Which country uses Shein the most? ›

With nearly 52 million downloads across all app stores, most downloads of the fast fashion app SHEIN-Fashion Shopping Online in 2022 came from users located in Brazil.

Who pays influencers the most? ›

Who is the most paid social media influencer?
  • Cristiano Ronaldo, who makes $2,4 million per sponsored post.
  • Kylie Jenner, who earns nearly $1,8 million per sponsored post.
  • Selena Gomez, who makes nearly $1,7 million per sponsored post.
  • Kim Kardashian-West, who makes $1,6 million per sponsored post.
Feb 1, 2023

What brands pay influencers the most? ›

Brands That Pay Influencers
  1. Fabletics. Fabletics is an active-lifestyle brand that sells both women's and men's activewear. ...
  2. Fashion Nova. ...
  3. Flat Tummy Co. ...
  4. Goli Gummy. ...
  5. Lululemon. ...
  6. Amazon Fashion. ...
  7. Walmart. ...
  8. PrettyLittleThing.
Mar 22, 2023

Is a SHEIN tester a real thing? ›

If selected by SHEIN to participate in our Free Trial Program, you will receive the clothing item that you chose. We ask that you then submit a detailed review on the item sent to you within 10 days of receiving it.

How much does a Shein ambassador make? ›

SHEIN Salary FAQs

The average salary for a Fashion Ambassador is $35,170 per year in United States, which is 19% lower than the average SHEIN salary of $43,759 per year for this job.

How do you get paid to promote Shein? ›

To become a SHEIN affiliate, you must sign up for the program through their affiliate platform. First, you must provide basic information about yourself and your website or social media account. Once approved, you'll be given access to your unique affiliate links, which you can use to promote SHEIN products.

Can anyone sell on Shein? ›

Briefly, yes you can make money selling clothing with SHEIN but there's a catch. If you are planning on reselling SHEIN clothing as a side-hustle it won't take much time and will ensure you have an extra income at the end of the month.

How many hours does a Shein worker work for? ›

Employees at one factory were working a maximum of 13.5 hours per day, with at least two to three days off per month, the statement claimed. At another factory, staff were found to be working 12.5 hours a day with no fixed schedule for days off.

Where does Shein get their workers from? ›

This is because Shein relies on mostly small suppliers, densely concentrated in the city of Guangzhou in southern China. These suppliers are incorporated into the company's software algorithms, which means that orders can be distributed automatically, speeding up Shein's trend cycles.

Is Shein ethical to workers? ›

Despite gargantuan profits, SHEIN HAS been accused of stealing designs from small independent labels, selling offensive items including Islamic prayer rugs as decorative mats and swastika necklaces, selling items containing unsafe amounts of lead, and forcing garment workers to work in extremely unethical conditions.

Is everything on Shein made in China? ›

LU: You know, China these days actually is not regarded as a cheap place to make clothing. Shein - you know, almost 100% is sourced from China.

Why do so many people use Shein? ›

In the United States, Shein benefits from relatively relaxed import taxes on their low-priced clothing. This has ultimately led for the fast fashion e-tailer to become extensively popular for consumers, even when buying in bulk.

Is it safe to buy clothes from SheIn? ›

Thousands of online shoppers and fashionistas want answers to the same question: Is SheIn legit? While plenty of online reviews say otherwise, the short answer is: Yes. SheIn is a legit clothing brand, but you should always shop with caution.

What is the dark side of Shein? ›

Also, SHEIN has come under fire for its marketing strategies, which some claim encourage cultural appropriation and unattainable beauty standards. The company has been accused of employing images that objectify women and of stealing designs from smaller, independent designers.

Is Shein getting banned? ›

The Chinese version of H&M and the #2 shopping app in America, Shein, is re-entering India after a three-year ban from the country. In 2021, it tried to get around this ban by offering its products on Amazon India, and this time around, it's seeking to avoid the ban via India's largest retailer, Reliance Retailer.

What activities did Shein do that was illegal? ›

Shein has repeatedly come under fire for just about everything you can do wrong with a company, including poor working conditions, high levels of toxic chemicals in its clothing, copying independent designers' items, and mishandling customer data.

What did Shein originally sell? ›

He started out by selling wedding dresses online. In 2012, he diversified into womenswear and later changed the brand name to Shein. Today, Shein also offers kid's and men's clothing and ships to 220 countries around the world.

Did Shein steal artist work? ›

A British nail artist has claimed that her designs have been stolen by fast fashion giant Shein. You might've seen the headlines on some news sites - "Beauty fans go wild for £2 Shein press-on nails". And it's true, some of the Chinese-owned company's press-on nails are being sold for as little as 75p.

What companies does Khloe Kardashian own? ›

Good American was started by the youngest Kardashian sister, Khloé. The business is currently one of the top denim brands and is sold by many well-known retailers.

What company does Khloé Kardashian own? ›

Unlike her famous siblings, Khloe Kardashian keeps her energy focused on one business: Good American. In 2016, she launched the inclusive denim brand with entrepreneur Emma Grede. The brand has since expanded to swimwear and womenswear, focusing on size inclusivity and offering a range from 00 to size 24.

What clothing company does Khloe Kardashian own? ›

Female Founder Power

In 2016, Khloé established the brand with Emma Grede with the goal of offering clothing for women, made by women – with all body shapes in mind. Since its launch, Good American has evolved into an iconic and inclusive fashion line of denim, ready-to-wear, swim, shoes and activewear.

Why was Shein boycotted? ›

Shein, which is known for selling cheap clothes, has been embroiled in numerous copyright infringement lawsuits by designers and artists over the years.

What percent of Good American does Khloe own? ›

The rest of her fortune comes from owning about 23% of Good American, 22% of Safely and less valuable stakes in Frame and Brady, companies cofounded by her husband; the latter is a collaboration with NFL legend Tom Brady.

Where does Khloe Kardashian get her money? ›

She's done major brand deals and collaborations.

Over the years, Khloe has made bank from her various brand deals and sponsored content on social media (A.K.A. SponCon). She's worked with companies from Becca Cosmetics to Hydrow and Nurtec.

Is Good American still owned by Khloe? ›

Technically, Kardashian is just the co-owner of Good American, a size-inclusive fashion line she started with Emma Grede, the CEO and Co-Founder of Good American.

How much does Khloé Kardashian weigh? ›

Khloe Kardashian - who weighs only 123lbs - claims to pull 'over 100lbs' of weights.

Which is the Kardashian company that makes most money? ›

1. Kim Kardashian: Skims – US$3.2 billion.

Who makes the most money Kardashian? ›

Kourtney Kardashian

From reality shows to brand endorsem*nts, launching her own lifestyle brand and an e-commerce site called Poosh, she is a star in her own right. The eldest daughter of Kris and Robert Kardashian makes the majority of her fortune from Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Who is the owner of Skims? ›

Skims is an American shapewear and clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, Emma Grede and Jens Grede. Skims has a focus on body positivity and inclusivity across the brand and practice inclusive sizing. The company was valued at over $3.2 billion in January 2022.

How much of skims does Kim own? ›

Kardashian owns about a 35% stake in Skims, netting her quite the cool sum.

How did Khloé Kardashian lose weight? ›

Khloe Kardashian's diet plan, developed by Dr. Philip Goglia, emphasizes a low-carb and high-protein diet, consisting of eight meals per day. Oats and asparagus play a significant role in her diet, contributing to her Khloe Kardashian losing weight success.

Why do people not use Shein? ›

Dangerous levels of lead and other toxic chemicals have been found in SHEIN clothing. These chemicals are bad for workers, bad for the planet, and bad for the consumers who purchase SHEIN's clothes, whether new or second hand. SHEIN claims to be environmentally conscious.

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