Chen Lin/Reuters
Mega-successful Chinese fast fashion retailer Shein, long plagued by allegations of terrible conditions for workers, and most recently, forced labor allegations—appears to have rolled out a new PR strategy: sending Instagram influencers on sponsored trips to China to tour a high-end Shein supplier warehouse. The tour, followed by “an epic night cruise to admire Guangzhou’s amazing skyline,” is prompting content creators to regurgitate company lines to their hundreds of thousands of followers.
“Kicking off the trip by heading into the factory of the leading manufacturer for Shein was the perfect way to start,” beauty influencer Dani DMC says in an Instagram reel she posted documenting her Shein trip. “I was really excited and impressed to see the working conditions. I was able to interview a woman that worked in the fabric cutting department, and you guys know me, [I’m] an investigative journalist, so I asked her all of our questions, and she answered them honestly and authentically.”
“She was very surprised at all the rumors that have been spread in the U.S.,” DMC continued. “She told me about her family, her lifestyle, her commute, her hours.”