SHEIN's Influencer Trip Controversy, Explained

This story was published on June 26, 2023 and updated on June 28, 2023

SHEIN is no stranger to backlash, but its latest move takes the controversy cake. The fast fashion behemoth, best known for its dubious labor practices and environmentally destructive production model, invited influencers to visit its Chinese facilities in what appears to be an attempt to reframe itself as an ethical company.

One influencer who took part in the trip, Dani Carbonari (better known as @danidmc on Instagram), has gone viral for a video documenting her visit to "the factory of the leading manufacturer of SHEIN," as well as the company's "innovation center." Carbonari, who describes herself as an "investigative journalist," says she was "excited and impressed to see the working conditions” at both facilities.

Carbonari also claims that she spoke to an employee at the SHEIN center's fabric-cutting department. "She was very surprised at all the rumors that have been spread in the U.S.," the influencer says, perhaps referencing a viral investigation by British outlet Channel 4 that found evidence of labor law violations at several SHEIN factories.

"My biggest takeaway from this trip is to be an independent thinker, get the facts, and see it with your own two eyes," Carbonari continues. "There's a narrative fed to us in the U.S. and I'm one that always likes to be open-minded and seek the truth, so I'm thankful for that about myself."

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Carbonari's account of the trip resembles those shared by her fellow travel companions, including Aujené, Fernanda Stephany Campuzano, Kenya Freeman, Marina Saavedrawas, and Destene Sudduth, who claimed SHEIN workers get "a nap-time after lunch."

The entire group was swiftly criticized for glossing over the well-documented reality of SHEIN's inner workings: The company underpays its workers, rips off independent designers, and omits approximately 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, thanks to its staggering output — on average, it updates its website with 6,000 new items a day (according to The Fashion Law, fast fashion rival Zara releases 500 new items a week).

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Netizens also questioned Carbonari's claim that she was not compensated to go on SHEIN's influencer trip.

"I was not paid for any trip or to say anything," she said in a now-deleted response to her critics. But in a TikTok video from May (also deleted), Carbonari said she signed a deal with SHEIN after meeting with the company to discuss bringing information "from the brand to the consumer" and "debunking a lot of these rumors." She stated: "As a plus-size creator, I am 60 percent of the time underpaid, and they [SHEIN] have definitely not underpaid me."

Carbonari posted a second response video, this time to Instagram, in which she concedes that she should have done more independent research before accepting SHEIN's brand trip. The influencer claims, again, that she was not paid to attend the trip or post about it — however, her travel and accommodation were covered, a point that many raised in the comments section of her video.

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Others are leveraging criticism at SHEIN itself, questioning whether the company showed influencers a staged facility. "This is so completely real guys. So real," one user commented on SHEIN's TikTok video documenting the trip.

Faux factory or not, it's important to note that SHEIN doesn't own its entire supply chain. While it might own the pristine-looking "innovation center" shown to influencers, the company largely relies on a network of third-party manufacturers throughout China.

To repurpose Carbonari's proclamation: Be an independent thinker and get the facts. Influencer videos that were probably paid for by SHEIN aren't exactly the most reliable source of information.

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