Having completely upended the e-commerce industry with its flexible supply chain, the Chinese giant manufacturing company Shein is now infamous for all the wrong-doings that go on behind its factory walls. While Shein has met the demands of global manufacturers, with on-trend and budget-friendly trends, the true cost of its manufacturing process on Chinses workers and environmental damage, has made industry activists criticize its business model and call for change.

Since its inception in Guangzhou in 2008, the Chinese-owned e-commerce store has become extremely popular with its fast fashion garments. While most thought Shein’s manufacturing process was automated, it was later realized the actual method is traditional human labour, where workers are exploited and made to work around 18 hours a day with high daily targets and low wages.

Documentary highlights pitiful factory conditions

Many secret documents and studies on its factory have been carried out to understand the wrong-doings but since nothing is proven and the Chinese authorities are in denial, industry analysts can only sympathise with the workers for now without taking real action. One of these documentaries titled Untold: Inside the Shein Machine, hosted by award-winning freelance journalist, producer and presenter Iman Amrani, has shown footage from hidden cameras that reveal the dismal labour practices of workers, who are regularly working 16-hour days with a target of 500 garments a day with a fine attached if it is not made to precision.

Women especially are the most exploited as manufacturing factories are predominantly women, who are making the clothes, whose own designs are being stolen and reused by the factory owners and also who are manipulated to advertise the products to look happy.

The environmental damage of these fast fashion apparel from Shein is another big concern as these garments are not made for the resale economy as they are of cheap materials made in such exploitative conditions that they can be worn only a few times before being discarded. But the amount of water and other chemicals used to make a single piece remains the same and just goes to the environmental pollution daily. The resale and renewed purpose of these same clothes in another person’s wardrobe instead of being discarded is non-existent and the real issues of overproduction and overconsumption just pile up.

Use and throw policy increases environmental pollution

Maria Chenoweth, CEO of Textile Reuse points out, they’re producing and making these clothes and then trying to offer some small solution to the much bigger problem that they’re creating. Its greenwashing, making people think it's OK to buy this rubbish when it’s not.

It is ironic and laughable that Shein has launched a resale program to address the issue of textile waste in its factories at the same time as this secret documentary about the pitiful conditions within its factories. It just goes to prove that Shein management and the Chinses government are just greenwashing the entire manufacturing process with no intention to address sustainability or humanitarian issues. However, with industry malpractice analaysts and human rights activists now waking up and taking action the complacent attitude of the Shien management will soon be over.

Athleisure market is expected to grow at 6.7 per cent CAGR to reach $257.1 billion by 2026. As per a new Allied Market Research Report global athleisure market size was valued at $155.2 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $257.1 billion by 2026. In 2018, North America accounted for nearly 38.4 per cent market share.

Recent trends show, athleisure has gained preference over denim. The market has been evolving continuously in terms of product offerings. Innovation material and technology are being used in designing and producing athleisure product ensuring odor free, stretchability, sweat-wicking, and protection from dirt. For instance, Nike is using a blend of classic materials like polyester and spandex and innovative manufacturing techniques. These materials are woven to create attractive shirts, sweatshirts, and vests.

Analysis of the global athleisure market is segmented on the basis of product type, gender, distribution channel, and region. Based on product type, the market is classified into sneaker, joggers, leggings, hoodies, and others. Based on gender, the market is segmented into male and female. In terms of distribution channel, the market is divided into online and offline. Based on region, the market is analyzed across North America (US, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, Spain, UK, Italy, France, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and rest of LAMEA).

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has alleged that consumers are being duped into paying a premium for productions falsely labeled as sustainable but have no credentials to prove it.

As per a report by The Guardian, CMA is investigating many such claims made by British fashion brands. The analyst estimate, UK consumers spend £54 billion annually on clothing and footwear. According to estimates, fashion is responsible for between 2 per cent and 8 per cent of global carbon emissions. It also causes huge amounts of wastes and pollution.

Buyers opting for sustainable products are being bamboozled by sweeping claims, according to the report, resulting in a loss of trust which could stop the UK reaching its climate commitments.

Cecilia Parker Aranha, Director-Consumer Protection, CMA says, around 60 per cent of people had said they were either likely to or fairly likely to be willing to pay more for products, and about 9 per cent more for products that were environmentally friendly.

Claims being investigated by the CMA include unfair comparisons that individual items of clothing are “better for the environment” without qualifying how; claims about the use of recycled materials in new clothing; and entire ranges of clothing within stores being branded as “sustainable”.

The CMA will name the companies it considers to be the worst offenders, as an example to the rest of the industry, and ask them to make changes. If they do not make changes to their advertising, they could be taken to court.

US’ jeans imports rose by 22.5 per cent to $308.19 million in January this year, as per data from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA) revealed.

Blue denim apparel imports from top supplier Bangladesh rose by 9.99 percent year over year to $62.03 million in January, while shipments from Mexico increased by 28.68 percent to $53.89 million, according to OTEXA.

Jeans Imports from Vietnam surged 49.19 percent to $37.25 million in the month, while shipments reaching U.S. ports of entry from Pakistan rose 32.76 percent to $34.52 million and imports from China increased 17.13 percent to $33.31 million.

Imports from Egypt jumped by 78.17 percent year over year in January to $15.71 million. Shipments from Turkey also surged to $7.95 million, while imports from Cambodia rose 8.54 percent to $15.88 million/

Amongst Western Hemisphere countries, shipments from Nicaragua rose by 20.15 percent in the month to $4.26 million. On a smaller scale from the region, Colombia’s shipments more than doubled to $2.48 million for January and Guatemala imports were up 32.44 percent to $1.66 million.

The global denim jeans market is estimated to grow to $76.1 billion by 2026, from $57.3 billion in 2020, as per a new report from Research and Markets. The market research firm attributed the anticipated success to factors including casualization in the workplace.