If you use TikTok or Instagram, chances are you’ve seen the Shein haul trend. Now is your chance to see what the fuss is all about. The China-based e-retailer will open a pop-up shop at Plano’s The Shops at Willow Bend Next weekend, August 26 through 28.
This will be Shein’s second stop in Texas after their pop-up in Houston this weekend.
The pop-up shop will feature items from two Dallas-area designers: Shelby Hilliard whose collection was designed to be inclusive with a focus on petite women, and Cynthia V Johnsen who specializes in women’s wear.
Famous for their inexpensive women’s clothing, Shein’s fast fashion has caused some controversy in recent years. Cheap and mass-produced clothing has a devastating impact on the environment. According to the UN Environment Programme, the fashion industry is the second biggest consumer of water and produces 2 to 8% of global carbon emissions.
Through a vast network of contract manufacturers, Shein is able to produce thousands of youth-friendly items at a few dollars apiece. This has led to allegations of worker exploitation as well as copyright infringement. According to Bloomberg, Indiana University, which just recently announced a partnership with Shein, put the breaks on its plans as a result of concerns about the company.
Hoping to fix the company’s reputation, a team of new executives is focused on improving Shein’s ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) performance. Adam Whinston, a former Disney and JCPenney executive was hired by Shein as its new director of environmental, social and governance and since then Shein has published its own sustainability and social impact report in response to third parties reporting.
Via WIRED, Whinston said his plan to make Shein more sustainable is to get responsibly sourced materials: “We have a program in place to identify the origin of cotton, we do transparency exercises, we talk with our suppliers, and we make sure that all of the product that we’re sourcing and buying is compliant with the market that that product is going into.”
Shein’s biggest challenge will be to sustain a delicate balance between low prices and turn to ethically produced clothing, a problem other retailers like Zara and H&M also face.
In case you missed it here's Local Profile's report on eco-friendly Yardbird's new store in Collin County
