Controversial: Former EU budget commissioner Gunther Oettinger
Shein has hired a controversial lobbyist who once described Chinese people as ‘slit eyed’.
The Chinese fast fashion giant named former EU budget commissioner Gunther Oettinger as a consultant to help it with European Union policies.
The German political heavyweight came under fire in 2016 after making remarks about Chinese businessmen to other industry leaders. He later apologised for using the phrase ‘Schlitzaugen’, which means ‘slit eyes’. He was also scrutinised for referring to the group as ‘nine men, one party, and no democracy’.
He had also made a joke that policymakers would soon introduce a law for ‘mandatory gay marriage’ in Germany. And in 2016 he said he would ‘shoot myself’ if he was married to Frauke Petry, the female leader of the Right-wing Alternative for Germany party.
Shein is a Chinese firm but is now based in Singapore. It has faced criticism for its supply chains, which it uses to churn out ultra-cheap garments for a Gen-Z customer base.
At the time of his comments, Oettinger said: ‘I can now see that the words I used have created bad feelings and may even have hurt people. This was not my intention and I would like to apologise.’
Scrutiny over Shein has grown ahead of a potential £50billion London stock market float. The EU is toughening its stance on fast fashion, with rules to crack down on wasteful clothes. Officials have argued that the textiles sector is one of the least sustainable industries, with cheaply made garments ‘designed to be disposable’ and and companies like Shein encouraging ‘unnecessary over-consumption’.
So Oettinger – who served as European Commissioner for budget between 2017 to 2019 – faces an uphill battle with advocating for Shein’s interests. Founded in 2012, Shein has enjoyed an explosion in popularity – thanks to budget-conscious younger shoppers in more than 150 countries.
The firm has gone to great lengths to win over the City and has insisted there are rigorous checks across suppliers to ensure workers are treated well and sustainable materials used.
But last week Shein admitted an audit discovered two cases of child labour in its supply chain. It said suppliers involved were temporarily suspended.
Retail guru and ‘Queen of the shops’ Mary Portas and Stuart Trevor, co-founder of fashion brand All Saints, are among the big names to call for a flotation to be blocked.
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