The Sydney Morning Herald recently interviewed a director at Shein, who revealed insights as to how the fast-fashion giant operates.
What's happening?
Tara Skene-Haygarth is the director of product at Shein's Australian sub-brand, Aralina. She argued that Shein's on-demand model ensured that there was a bare minimum of overproduction, leaving little unused stock sitting in storage.
"The on-demand model really isn't spoken about," said Skene-Haygarth, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. "I feel like for us, the operating model is quite sustainable."
However, experts point out that fabric isn't made on demand. Waste from production is commensurate with the high volume of finished products Shein produces.
"There are minimum order quantities, and there are typically huge amounts of excess fabrics left over from production because of this, and this is pervasive across the industry," said founder of Circular Sourcing Courtney Holm, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Skene-Haygarth went into detail about how the fast turnaround of new products and how digital-first retail experiences are now the norm. Product photography in particular plays a big role, she said.
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"It's all very competitive," said Skene-Haygarth, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's really about having such a unique point of view with the creative art direction, the way you shoot … So it is tough, but it's all just about performance, too."
Why is Shein important?
Shein is the biggest polluter in the fashion industry. By its own reports, its carbon pollution nearly tripled in three years.
Fast fashion more broadly creates loads of issues. Production pollutes local waterways. Much unused stock gets destroyed by retailers. Once in a landfill, organic fibers decompose and produce methane. Along with other polluting gases, methane heats the atmosphere, exacerbates extreme weather patterns, raises sea levels via melting sea ice, and both warms and acidifies oceans.
The clothing industry generates roughly 10% of global pollution. This is partly thanks to a growing proportion of clothing relying on oil-based synthetic materials. The oil production itself introduces even more atmospheric pollution. The plastics, namely polyester, shed into microplastics, which find their way into oceans. Once there, they bioaccumulate in the fish we eat and eventually in humans. These microplastics can introduce a wide range of immune, endocrine, and reproductive health problems once in the body.
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Giving me money back 💰 What's being done about fast fashion?
Some companies are attempting to support more circular clothing models. Trashie, thredUp, and GotSneakers are just some marketplaces that can find a second life for clothing that's otherwise on its way out.
This can elongate the lifespan of existing clothing and reduce the need for buying something new.
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