Shein Pulls Stolen Design After Being Condemned By Mexican Government
Photo 248785313 © Rafael Henrique | Dreamstime.com
Fast-fashion site Shein is, notoriously, no stranger to clashing with small artists. This time around, however, tensions have reached a national level over a blouse that borrows Mexican motifs to a T.
Mexico has chastised the e-commerce giant for selling a ‘Fan-Trim Top with Floral Print’ that not only rips off a traditional huipil embroidery by a local artisanal clothing brand, but it also appropriates generations of “collective creativity.”
“These designs have been passed down from generation to generation, so they are the product of a collective creativity corresponding to the Mayan people,” the Culture Ministry pens in a letter addressed to Shein, as translated by Reuters.
Desde @cultura_mx, nos oponemos enérgicamente a la apropiación indebida de piezas que son parte de la identidad y cultura del pueblo maya, por parte de la empresa @SHEIN_Official.El @GobiernoMX defiende los derechos de los pueblos originarios. #MéxicoEsOriginal pic.twitter.com/bmnIA2ca0q
— Alejandra Frausto (@alefrausto) July 21, 2022
The Mexican government has defended artisans whose intellectual property rights have been threatened by large brands in the past, with Louis Vuitton and Zara being among the perpetrators.
The garment that Shein purportedly plagiarized was launched by Mexican textile brand YucaChulas in 2017. The smaller label asserted that nearly everything was identical to its design—from the print to colors—and only the detailing at the neck and arm hole areas is different.
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YucaChulas lamented that the Shein copy reflected “a lack of recognition” for the hard work of artisans.
Following open dissent by Mexican authorities, Shein has removed the offending piece from its platform, explaining that it has no intent of violating anyone’s IP rights.
“We reaffirm our respect for artisans in Mexico and around the world,” a spokesperson for the website tells Reuters.
[via Reuters and Mexico News Daily, images via various sources]
