Shein has handpicked six U.S.-based designers to develop the first apparel collections for the EvoluSHEIN by Design program, which aims to accelerate the use of preferred materials and scale responsible manufacturing processes.
Designers were selected based on their passion and their adherence to EvoluSHEIN by Design standards. Garments must consist of at least 30% preferred materials, such as recycled polyester, forest-safe viscose and rescued deadstock, and be manufactured by suppliers that have earned high social and environmental compliance verification through third-party audits. All the pieces are produced using Shein’s small-batch, on-demand production model and shipped in packaging that contains recycled content.
“The six designers launching collections today are already independently incorporating sustainability into their personal brands and have expressed that using these lower-impact materials is really important to them moving forward,” said Caitrin Watson, Director of Sustainability at Shein in a statement. “We’re excited to open this up to our Shein X designers and beyond, and to hopefully inspire the next generation of sustainability-conscious fashion creators.”
The designers, all from the Shein X Designer Incubator Program, are Alexandria Carroll, Anke Wonder, Farah Naz, Jacqueline City, Lauren Flagg and Lillian Butterworth. Since its launch, the Incubator program has allowed nearly 3,000 designers and artists from around the world to leverage Shein’s production infrastructure to launch more than 25,000 original creations. This month, Shein announced it would invest an additional $50 million in the program over five years, bringing the company’s total investment to $105 million through 2028.
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Shein has come under scrutiny for alleged use of Uyghur forced labor in its supply chain, with 22 U.S. Representatives sending a letter earlier this month to the Securities and Exchange Commission, urging the market regulator to require that Shein certify that it doesn’t use such labor before the company is allowed to launch a U.S. IPO.
