Dive Brief:
- Shein on Sunday showcased apparel from nine of its collections for Fall/Winter during a shoppable livestream show, Shein Live: Front Row, according to a company press release.
- Actress and influencer Teala Dunn and Shein host Renee Ariel hosted the three-hour event, which streamed on the Shein app and across the retailer’s Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram pages. The retailer's app had an average of 450,00 to 500,000 viewers per hour, while its Instagram had between 1,800 and 2,000 viewers per hour.
- The event featured outfits from Shein’s Iconic Chic, Totally Timeless, Comfy Cool, Street Style, Ready for Romance, It Girl, Boho Glam, Fits For All and Shein X collections. The brand awarded 10 million Shein points throughout the event on its mobile app.
Dive Insight:
The livestream fashion show follows Shein’s efforts to reach a broader base of customers. Last month, Shein and Forever 21 announced a deal to distribute each other’s products through both companies’ digital and retail operations. As part of the agreement, Shein holds a one-third interest in Sparc Group, a joint venture between Forever 21 parent companies Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group.
“Shein was founded on the mission of making fashion accessible to all, and through Shein Live: Front Row, we’re excited to give all fans the opportunity to experience fashion from prime first row seating,” George Chiao, president of Shein U.S., said in a statement.
The fast-fashion retailer is also growing its international presence. The Singapore-based retailer reported 1.12 billion pounds in revenue, roughly $1.36 billion at current exchange rates, between September 2021 and December 2022 from its U.K. division alone, according to a Companies House filing.
But as it continues to grow, Shein faces increasing scrutiny. In May, U.S. Congress members wrote letters to the CEOs of Nike, Adidas, Shein and Temu asking for more details about garment materials sourcing. The U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party sought information about Shein’s compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which prohibits the sale of products from the Xinjiang region of China.
Amid criticism over Shein’s operations, the retailer has devoted more capital to ESG initiatives. Shein this month announced plans to allocate $85 million over five years to support the "people" pillar of its environmental, social and governance efforts. Fifty million dollars of the new funds will be directed toward aspiring designers, and $35 million will flow to “women, young people and the underprivileged,” per the company. Those funds are in addition to the company’s previous $70 million commitment to its manufacturing supplier community, for a total of $155 million in funding across five years.
Ed note: This story has been updated to include numbers regarding viewership during the event.
