June in Fashion, Condensed.
Another Shein controversy, a day in the life of a fast fashion worker, the Traceability Roadmap, and could future fashion be grown in a lab?
Hello there,
By now, you’ve probably heard about Shein’s latest PR disaster. If not, here’s a quick recap: the ultra-fast fashion behemoth took a group of influencers to China on a press trip to visit factories, meet garment workers, and learn about Shein’s process from design to finished garment. The content these influencers created, as a result, was so heavily greenwashed and devoid of critique that the internet (my particular sphere, at least) has been tearing them apart ever since.
One of the protagonists of this drama has since removed her videos (including those she made post-scandal defending Shein) and has replaced them with apology videos.
Honestly, I wasn't surprised that influencers fell for Shein’s image rehabilitation propaganda or that it backfired so spectacularly. Most influencers aren't journalists and don’t have media ethics training, nor are they expected to be critical thinkers. I assume they were enticed by a free trip and the opportunity to glimpse inside an incredibly secretive company. However, it’s clear that influencers should be held to higher standards than they currently are, considering that many Gen Zer’s get their news from social media instead of traditional news outlets.
But it's not just influencers the ultra-fast fashion giant is collaborating with.
In my research this month, I found two paid partnership stories in more traditional media outlets, WWD and Sourcing Journal. A few months ago, Elle Canada published a similar advertorial about Shein competitor Temu. When I asked myself a) Why the editors and commercial teams at these publications agree to publish these stories and b) How much Shein paid them, I suspect the answer to both questions is simple: lots of money.
(Side note for some context on Shein’s hardcore reputation turnaround strategy: the company is apparently looking to go public in the U.S. soon, which would be the biggest IPO in the world this year, according to Reuters.)
Herein lies the problem. Brands — fast, luxury, and everything in between — rely on influencers and the fashion media to push new products onto their audiences and keep people talking about their company. On the other hand, mainstream fashion publications rely on brands financially, either through paid partnership stories, affiliate links in shopping content, sponsorship deals, or ad space.
Clearly, blatantly promoting Shein doesn’t seem to be working out for the influencers from this trip, but I don’t see anyone talking about the paid media stories. So at what point do fashion publications take responsibility for their own influence? These days, we expect most brands (even Shein!) to have a mission statement, impact reduction targets and ESG strategies. We clearly expected these Shein influencers to have more of a moral compass. Why don’t we expect the same from the fashion media?
It’s a question of how we untangle fashion communicators from the brands they should be holding to account. How can the media be objective or selective in who it promotes if brands are the ones paying the wages? There is no easy solution when they rely on each other to survive. A new UNEP playbook came out this week and might have some answers to this dilemma — you can read it below.
As ever, I love to hear your thoughts. Hit reply at the end of the email to get in touch.
Until next month,
Meg X
Things I Did Write
The TrusTrace Traceability Roadmap
After months of writing, I can finally share a project I’ve been working on with the Swedish traceability tech platform TrusTrace. The second industry guidebook to supply chain traceability in the fashion industry was launched this week during the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen. Following on from last year’s original edition all about why implementing traceability is so important, this Roadmap is all about how to do it. Download your free copy below!
Things I Didn’t Write
A Day in the Life of a Fast Fashion Worker by Daphne Chouliaraki Milner for Atmos
The Problem With Fashion’s Sustainability Push: It Doesn’t Make Much Money by Olivia Rockeman and Zahra Hirji for Bloomberg
You Might Want to Think Twice About Clothing Brands That Push Rental, Resale, and Recycling by Jamie Ducharme for Time
Shein Thrived Despite Constant Abuse Allegations. Then Came a Disastrous Influencer Event by Arianna Coghill for Mother Jones
Op-ed: Was Vivienne Westwood The Last Of Fashion’s Fearless Activists? by Meg Pirie for Fashion Roundtable
Petri-Dish Leather And Silk Spun From Sugar: Could Future Fashion Be Grown In A Lab? by Lucianne Tonti for the Guardian
Inside the Fashion World’s Dark Underbelly of Sexual and Financial Exploitation: ‘Modeling Agencies Are Like Pimps For Rich People’ by Tatiana Siegel for Variety
The To-Do List
To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick - and How We Can Fight Back
Alden Wicker, sustainable fashion journalist and founder of EcoCult, has just released her book all about the toxic chemicals that are lurking in our clothing. These chemicals are largely unregulated and are linked to all sorts of nasty health impacts for the people working in clothing manufacturing as well as consumers. Paid subscribers can listen to our interview below the paywall to learn more.
The Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook by the UNEP
The UN Environment Programme has released this necessary playbook to help fashion communicators do a better job of it. Greenwashing is rife, and without proper training to spot and avoid it coming from brands, the media and influencers are susceptible to spreading misinformation.
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This month, paid subscribers can listen to my conversation with Alden Wicker, journalist, founder of EcoCult, and author of To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick and How We Can Fight Back.