The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant has been accused by multiple brands — among them, AirWair International, who make Dr Martens shoes — of intellectual property infringement, reports the Financial Times. AirWair said in court filings that Shein had a “clear intent to sell counterfeits,” as exhibited by its listing of a “Martin boot” on the site, as well as more than 20 other styles. The company also accused Shein and sister site Romwe of both creating direct copies of its distinctive designs and using photographs of real Dr Martens shoes to compel customers to buy the low-cost alleged copies. Neither Shein nor AirWair immediately responded to BoF’s request for comment.
In May, reports flew around China’s financial media that Shein (which earlier in the year attempted and failed to acquire Topshop) was preparing for an IPO after its latest round of financing that reportedly valued the company at over 300 billion yuan ($46.8 billion). A spokesperson at the time told BoF that an IPO is still a year or two away and said the rumoured valuation was inaccurate.
Joan Kennedy is Editorial Associate at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and covers beauty and marketing.
As the German sportswear giant taps surging demand for its Samba and Gazelle sneakers, it’s also taking steps to spread its bets ahead of peak interest.
A profitable, multi-trillion dollar fashion industry populated with brands that generate minimal economic and environmental waste is within our reach, argues Lawrence Lenihan.
RFID technology has made self-checkout far more efficient than traditional scanning kiosks at retailers like Zara and Uniqlo, but the industry at large hesitates to fully embrace the innovation over concerns of theft and customer engagement.
The company has continued to struggle with growing “at scale” and issued a warning in February that revenue may not start increasing again until the fourth quarter.