Global Controversy, Local Consequences

The world's largest fashion retailer, Shein, is set to open its first permanent brick-and-mortar store globally in Paris on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, igniting a firestorm of controversy that resonates far beyond France. The Singapore-based company, founded in China in 2012, has faced intense scrutiny over its labour practices, environmental impact, and business ethics. For Kenya, a nation deeply integrated into the global textile trade through its importation of second-hand clothing, or 'mitumba', the rise of 'ultra-fast fashion' giants like Shein presents a complex challenge with significant economic and environmental implications.

Labour Practices Under Scrutiny

Multiple investigations have raised serious concerns about working conditions within Shein's vast supply chain. A 2021 report by the Swiss advocacy group Public Eye found that some workers in Guangzhou, China, were toiling for 75 hours a week, a clear violation of Chinese labour laws. Follow-up investigations in 2023 by the same group suggested that these excessive hours remained common. A documentary by the UK's Channel 4 alleged that workers in some supplier factories were working up to 18-hour days with only one day off a month. In its 2023 sustainability report, Shein itself admitted to finding two instances of child labour in its supply chain, which it stated were resolved swiftly. The company has pledged to invest millions of dollars to improve factory conditions and, following the Channel 4 documentary, acknowledged that working hours at two supplier sites breached local regulations.

The 'Ultra-Fast' Business Model and Its Environmental Toll

Shein's dominance is built on an agile, data-driven business model that dramatically accelerates fashion cycles. The company can take a design from concept to finished product in as little as three to seven days, adding thousands of new styles to its app daily. This 'on-demand' model involves producing small initial batches of 100-200 items and only scaling up production for popular products, a strategy the company claims minimises waste. However, critics argue this rapid production fuels a culture of disposable consumption, exacerbating the global textile waste crisis. In 2023, Time magazine reported that Shein was responsible for producing over 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. The company's 2024 sustainability report disclosed that its supply chain emissions grew by 9.7% from the previous year. A significant portion of these emissions comes from its reliance on air freight to deliver products quickly to its 150-plus markets worldwide.

Implications for Kenya's Mitumba Trade

The flood of cheap, low-quality clothing produced by ultra-fast fashion directly impacts Kenya, a major destination for used apparel. While the mitumba industry employs an estimated two million Kenyans and provides affordable clothing for millions more, it is also a conduit for textile waste. Reports indicate that a substantial percentage of the clothing arriving in these bales is of such poor quality that it is immediately discarded, ending up in landfills like Dandora in Nairobi, one of the most polluted areas on the planet. The rise of fast fashion, with its reliance on synthetic fibres like polyester, worsens this problem as these materials do not biodegrade and release microplastics into the environment. This influx of low-durability clothing threatens to overwhelm Kenya's waste management infrastructure and undermines the viability of its local textile and fashion industry.

Paris Outrage and Official French Response

The opening of the Shein store in Paris's prestigious BHV department store has been met with widespread condemnation. Several French fashion brands have pulled their products from BHV in protest, and Disneyland Paris cancelled a planned Christmas pop-up event at the location. The French government has also taken a hard stance. Recently, French authorities launched an investigation into Shein and other e-commerce platforms for selling products, including childlike sex dolls, that violate French law. Economy Minister Roland Lescure threatened to ban the platform if such violations recur. This is part of a broader European push to regulate ultra-fast fashion, with France proposing new laws to restrict advertising and impose environmental penalties on such companies. As the world grapples with the social and environmental costs of this business model, the controversy in Paris serves as a critical case study for countries like Kenya, which find themselves at the receiving end of the global fashion waste stream.