Global Courant
Several influencers were criticized this week for social media posts enthusiastically highlighting a trip sponsored by Chinese fast fashion clothing chain Shein, which was previously accused of labor exploitation and environmentally harmful practices.
A since-deleted video posted by Dani Carbonari, who refers to herself in her Instagram bio as a content creator, plus-size model, and confidence activist, shows her arriving at a facility she calls the “Shein Innovation Center” in Ghangzhou, China, last week.
“Shein is such a developed and complex company, and it was so nice to see firsthand,” said Carbonari in the video. Carbonari calls herself an investigative reporter and says she interviewed a woman who works in the textile cutting department.
Carbonari does not share the questions she asked and the answers she received, but says the woman told her about her family, her hours and her commute.
“She answered honestly and authentically. She was very surprised by all the rumors (about Shein) that had spread in the US,” says Carbonari, who has 481,000 followers on Instagram and 297,000 on TikTok.
Other influencers were discussed in a movie placed by the company included Destene Sudduth and AuJené Butler.
Social media users have accused Carbonari of betraying Shein’s employees and the environment and uncritically promoting a brand with a bad reputation. A leading writer of menswear tweeted that the company wanted to make itself appear progressive to a North American audience while running “a sweatshop in the back.”
Shein is best known for selling trendy garments at low prices, such as a $13 dress or a $3 T-shirt, and produces about 6,000 garments per day. According to website analytics company CompareWeb, the website was among the top 100 most visited sites on the web for the past month.
While brand-sponsored influencer trips are an increasingly common marketing ploy for companies with a young demographic, experts say the Shein trip marked a departure, by having influencers testify to the company’s virtues rather than simply promoting the products. promote.
Shein says influencer videos are “authentic.”
Lia Haberman, an adjunct instructor of influencer marketing at the University of California Los Angeles Extension, said she noticed that the social media videos primarily focused on the company’s labor practices and working conditions.
“There is a difference between an influencer trip that involves subtle product placement or even product recommendation… and an influencer trip that essentially serves as propaganda for a company,” says marketing expert Lia Haberman. (Submitted by Lia Haberman)
“There is a difference between an influencer trip that involves subtle product placement or even product recommendation… and an influencer trip that essentially serves as propaganda for a company,” said Haberman.
CBC News reached out to Shein for a statement. A spokesperson said the trip with Carbonari, Sudduth and Butler was intended to “provide an opportunity to show a group of influencers how SHEIN works through a visit to our innovation center and allow them to share their own insights. share with their followers.”
“Their videos and social media commentary are authentic, and we respect and stand by each influencer’s perspective and voice on their experience,” the spokesperson said.
The company has long been accused of a lack of transparency and greenwashing, where an organization presents itself in a misleading way as environmentally friendly. A 2021 CBC Marketplace investigation found two Shein items to contain dangerous amounts of lead.
In November, Bloomberg reported that the cotton used in the company’s clothing can be traced to China’s Xinjiang region, where the country has reportedly committed human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority, including forced labour.
As a result, U.S. lawmakers have reportedly asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to stall an IPO of Shein until the company can independently demonstrate that it does not use forced labor.
Going on a Shein-sponsored trip, using Shein-branded custom luggage, and creating positive content using Shein-mandated hashtags is not “an independent thinker.” To dismiss the investigative work of real journalists like Iman Amrani as ‘rumours’ is just being a propagandist
In a follow-up Instagram video posted Monday, Carbonari said, “I’m sorry and sad that many people who don’t know me are so angry and upset.”
“But the best thing I can do moving forward is to lead with the same intention and authenticity that I always have.”
‘No excuses’
Sarah Jay, a Toronto-based sustainability consultant, said Shein gives a misleading impression of environmentally friendly practices by producing a small batch of product and waiting to see how it sells — then ramping up their production cycle when an item goes viral.
There’s “no excuse” for the amount of clothing Shein produces, says Jay.
and even if her working conditions were of the highest level -? fast fashion EVERYWHERE is still an active threat to the environment and that remains a fact? Shein gets the most smoke because it’s the BIGGEST competitor on the market! there is a lot of justified criticism there
“I find it suspicious for a brand to make this kind of investment (in an influencer trip) as opposed to investing those resources elsewhere in their sustainability platform, in disclosures and goal setting and increasing their positive impact and the ensure a living wage,” said Jay.
“It’s also important to understand that influencers were invited to experience part of the process — they’re not certified social or environmental impact auditors,” said Jay. “They have agendas and, you know, content that they prefer to create.”
Haberman offered a different perspective, noting that the company chose influencers from underrepresented communities in the fashion world, such as racial and major influencers, who may not get as much paid opportunity or exposure as others.
“Whether it was like they were finally being recognized and appreciated, or they just didn’t understand the nuance of what was happening… I think Shein was probably tapping into a group of influencers that he thought would be more receptive to their message.”
Haberman said there is a risk that other companies could follow in Shein’s footsteps by using influencers to reinforce the impression of clean, safe working conditions and humane labor practices while continuing abuses behind closed doors.
“I think Shein may have set a precedent for what brands now think they can do with influencers.”
