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Chinese e-tailer Shein awards prize to emerging label Flaws of Couture
In spring, Chinese fashion e-tailer Shein set up the Shein X programme, to promote emerging fashion designers and broaden its already burgeoning product range. The programme included a competition open to rookie stylists. The winner, picked among a shortlist of 30, was announced on September 12: the prize has gone to plus-size label Flaws of Couture, founded in 2008 by Canadian designer and influencer Sasha Ruddock.
The prize winner was selected by a jury comprising various fashion and show-biz celebrities, among them Khloé Kardashian, former J.Crew director Jenna Lyons and US designer Christian Siriano.
Flaws of Couture landed a $100,000 cash prize to aid its expansion, and will take part in the fashion week event that Shein is organising in Los Angeles.
Since the Shein X programme started in June, it has selected and launched on the website some 20 emerging labels, and Shein is planning to promote 50 new designers each month. A clever and relatively inexpensive way of channelling the creativity of young designers, who receive a percentage on the sale of their items, which are produced and commercialised by Shein.
According to Forbes, in 2020 Shein topped the €10 billion mark in sales. The e-tailer has become a major player in global budget fashion distribution, especially for the younger generations, despite its rather low-key profile and several warnings by industry observers regarding the lack of transparency of its supply chain. In August, Reuters revealed that Shein had failed to publicly disclose information on its suppliers, which is required by law for example in the UK, and that it made false claims on the site, notably claiming that the factories it uses are certified by international institutions.
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