Even as the company continues to face criticism regarding its environmental footprint and alleged human rights abuses, fast-fashion giant Shein is hosting its largest-ever Australian pop-up store in Sydney this month.
Termed by the Daily Telegraph as a rare chance for customers to see and try on Shein’s typically online-only offerings, this pop-up will feature 11 of Shein's sub-brands, including a new one called Aralina, which the company promotes as sustainable and ‘wellness-inspired.’
A quick online look at Aralina clothing reveals, many items are made of polyester, a synthetic fabric usually made from plastic, and are priced similarly to Shein's other low-cost, low-quality items, raising doubts about the company's eco-friendly claims.
Fast fashion raises concerns about quality and ethics, impacting both our closets and the wider world. These brands, which produce large quantities of low-quality items, often rely on cheap materials and exploitative labor practices, making them frequent targets of criticism.
Environmental organizations condemn fast fashion for fueling overconsumption and excessive textile waste. As fast-fashion garments are made as cheaply as possible, they tend to wear out quickly, encouraging a cycle of constant buying and discarding, which has a significant environmental impact.
As per an Earth.Org report, more than 92 million metric tons (over 101 million US tons) of textile waste ends up in landfills each year. In the US alone, the average person throws away about 81.5 pounds of clothing annually. Globally, only about 12 per cent of used clothing is recycled. Additionally, the environmental damage caused by fast-fashion production, such as polluted waterways, toxic chemical use, and excessive resource consumption, often affects the health and well-being of local communities.
At the same time, many fast-fashion brands rely on low-cost labor in countries where worker protections are nonexistent. Garment workers endure long hours, unsafe conditions, and low wages. In some supply chains, child labor and forced labor have been documented, particularly in China.
While there are increasing global efforts to regulate fast fashion through government legislation and industry-led initiatives, the movement is still developing, and enforcement can be inconsistent.
