Shein has been accused of ripping off Zara’s designs
Images shared on social media show nearly identical clothing from the two stores.
After dozens of images were share on social media showing nearly identical garments from the two outlets, the Chinese ultra-fast fashion website Shein was accuse of copying designs by high street rival Zara.
On the video platform TikTok, the hashtags #zaravsshein and #zaradupe – where users share very similar Zara and Shein items, often while wearing them – have 38.3 million and 39.8 million views, respectively.
Shein has already been sued for copyright infringement by global companies such as Levi Strauss, Dr. Martens producer AirWair International, and Ralph Lauren. On TikTok, the hashtag #sheinstolemydesign has received 6.4 million views.
Some of the most striking examples have been gathered on Instagram by @dupesnation. On the other hand, some fashion influencers appear to be celebrating Shein’s ability to replicate Zara’s designs at a fraction of the cost. For example, one post titled “Dupe AllyLikes,” shows a pastel pink and orange Zara shirt for €29.95 (£24.86) next to an identical shirt from Shein for €4.49 (£3.73), complete with the product codes needed to purchase it.
In Spanish, the Instagram account @zaravsshein says, “Find Zara clothes at Shein twice as cheap!!!!”
Every day, a new outfit!! All garments are reference. Begin saving!” According to the Business of Fashion website, Shein’s revenue has quadrupled since 2019, reaching $15.7 billion (£12.1 billion). It is now reportedly seeking $1 billion in funding and a $100 billion valuation.
“Imitation appears to be the cornerstone of super-fast fashion,” said Alex Crumbie of the campaign group Ethical Consumer, “These brands typically reproduce fashion seen elsewhere and turn it around in a week.” Design cloning reduces lead time.”
It’s unclear how they do it so quickly and cheaply. “There isn’t much information on Shein,” Crumbie said. “They will have supply chains worldwide to keep costs low, but we don’t know where.”
Could Shein get away with it if it is indeed plagiarism? Very possibly. “Let’s assume Shein stole a Zara idea,” said Mike Flanagan, CEO of Clothesource consultancy. “You’re looking at two years by the time Zara notices it and sues.” However, that design could have sold only five copies and then vanished within weeks. It’s impossible to prove something two years later.”