YouNo secret location, until the last minute. A rising Italian designer to meet at the fashion competition show. And the possibility, finally, to talk – most and above all about sustainability – with the spokesperson of the most controversial fast fashion giant. It Happened In Paris, Where We Went Backstage At The SHEIN Fashion Show To Try To Find Out More
At the end of the show, at the Pavillon Cambon in the heart of paris, Harry Giovanni Paredes Moncada He has the look of someone who is overcome with emotion and adrenaline at the same time. The young Italian designer admits it: “Do you show in Paris? However, I made the show a dream come true,” he tells us. It was April when his name was announced as runner-up as well as the Italian winner Gone – in the 2023 edition she in xchallengeThe contest for young budding designers strategically conceived by e-commerce giant SHEIN.
Sheen X: A fashion contest to reinvent itself in the market?
Today, with €8,000 won from the contest, Harry Moncada will have the opportunity to see his look manufactured and sold on SHEIN’s e-commerce platform. The Chinese brand, in full view of other fast fashion brands, has taken to the catwalk 25 designers With a total of 75 theme-inspired looks endless Summer, all of which will be reproduced in versions suitable for commerce. Waiting for us backstage at the fashion show – whose location is kept secret until the last minute to avoid the high risk of environmentalist protests at the entrance – there is Cui He, Europe Director of Sheen, for which we ask a question that goes straight to the point of a specific topic, SHEIN’s Achilles heel as a fast fashion brand: sustainability. Toothache away, pain away Is this fashion contest helping SHEIN reinvent itself in the market or re-imagining the brand in some way?
“I’ve been in Xin for six years. It’s not much – Cui He explains. – Xin is twelve years old, I’m here halfway through his journey. I know the business model, how hard people work within him. Let’s do it. I think there’s a big difference between what actually happens and the outside perception. That’s why, when I became the Europe director, I wanted to build on the brand through side projects like this. Let there be more awareness so that people can get to know us better.”
Shein, how the business model works
Sheen’s business model is based on market testing: Only one hundred pieces are produced for each garment. Please? Does it sell well? They produce another hundred. Not selling well? Will be generously discounted on e-commerce until every piece is sold and then produced. “This avoids the environmental impact of unsold goods,” says Cui He. The same approach will be used for the capsules of the 25 designers shown in Paris and the idea of collaborating again in the future will be considered if any of them prove particularly successful.
about sustainability
For stability, Cui He is at least objective: “Finding solutions is not easy, we are collecting as many innovative ideas as possible. We are trying to cooperate with other realists, trying to use discarded clothes in other manufacturers and recover them to give life to the clothes. The topic is urgent, we talked a lot about it with the designers at the competition, telling them about the importance of sustainability and the sources of supply of the fabrics. In our case, it is not easy. We must always look at the reality of the facts: We are a commercial brand. Giving preference to sustainable fabrics would mean that we would not be able to respect the price.” A price that is very democratic, which favors the mini budget of the European generation Z, but which certainly does not excite the sustainable thinking that was the motto of the queen of excellence of green fashion, the English Designer Vivienne Westwood: “Choose well, buy little, keep up with the times”.
Chinese is the origin and manufacture, but not the target
The target audience is also interesting: Cui tells us In the future the show may be held in other European capitals, but not in China., “But how – we ask – is the land of the dragon becoming a breeding ground for talented Chinese designers right now?”. Shanghai Fashion Week, even more so than Beijing Fashion Week, has become a valuable event for the Chinese fashion industry: the debate over the importance of Made in China as “well done and off quality”, the stereotyped label of Made trying to move. In China interpreted as something cheap and shoddy. But the crux of the matter, perhaps, is also this: the Chinese Gen Z exceeds 2 billion units and is strongly attracted to luxury, including Made in Italy, has the spending power to be able to afford it. But then there’s the other face of China: the manufacturing reality, which – as Cui Hee confirms – SHEIN is linked to because of its low cost. Another Achilles heel.
The judging panel of Sheen X Challenge 2023
However, in balance, there is also the opportunity that the 2023 edition of the SHEIN X Challenge gave the finalists – 25 from 2446 applications – to experience a moment of discussion and professional growth when they were presented in London last April. was invited to. Sketches for the jury. Judges included: Adrian Roberts, International Director of Education at the Accademia Costume & Moda in Italy and President of the GFW & International Trustees of the Graduate Fashion Foundation, Irish designer Colin Horgan, whose work has been admired and worn by stars such as Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga; and stylist Julien Forney, a major name in French haute couture and creator of Madonna’s tour looks.
The Experience of Emerging Italian Designer Harry Moncada
It is precisely from meeting him that Italian winner Harry Moncada, originally from Terni and runner-up in the contest, takes home his best memory: “I applied thinking I would never win among thousands of others – he tells us. . – But once in London, in front of the jury, I was confirmed by the fact that when you believe in something, you should never stop trying. Even the friendship that arose between the stylists Made the competition a learning experience: “I started off thinking it would be hyper-competitive – explains Harry. – but then, befriending the other girls, the mutual support came naturally”.
Harry Moncada: From Springboard to Consolidation of Your Values
If the Sheen X Challenge was meant to be, as Cui He confirmed, “an opportunity to support aspiring stylists,” in theory it’s mission accomplished. And in practice? In practice, Italian winner Harry Moncada today He is already looking beyond, exploiting – as he should be – this opportunity to aim to write his own chapter, completely personal and in the name of his values: “Now I want to build my own brand. – he tells us in conclusion. – I want to combine my Colombian origins with Italian, two cultures that are part of me. “Harry, but will it be a Made in Italy brand?”, we venture. He smiles. “Yes, I would like to create my own brand by combining these two worlds with Colombian clothing and Italian manufacturing”, And that answer – above all else – is enough for us, beyond any limits on our right to report, to have hope in the future and in new generations.