Plopped next to a LensCrafters, across from a smoothie bar, was the mall’s hottest destination — if only for a weekend.
Chinese fast fashion giant Shein sells its clothes exclusively online but last month opened one of its pop-ups for a weekend at The Shops at Montebello. On a Sunday afternoon, an eager crowd waited behind rope barriers as security guards let shoppers through the doors, a few dozen at a time.
SZA and Latto blared from the store speakers, as school office worker Asya Dizadare stood in line dressed almost entirely in Shein.
“This whole outfit is from there, minus my shoes,” said Dizadare, who had playfully paired a colorblock turtleneck sweater with dogtooth checked shorts and accessorized with sheer black tights and a beige purse. The sweater, which cost $18, was the most expensive item.
Another customer, Eva Perez stood at the front of the line with her husband and teenage daughter. She said the quality and style of Shein products are generally good, leaving her perplexed.
“I honestly question it all the time,” Perez said. “Like, how is it so cheap?”
Industry experts say Shein's reliance on low-wage labor and its wide use of synthetic materials let the company churn out inexpensive clothes as swiftly as microtrends bubble up and vanish. That strategy has won over legions of customers who post about their shopping sprees on TikTok with the hashtag #SheinHaul.
But Shein's meteoric rise to a$100 billion valuation is also...
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