Shein to unveil spring/summer 2024 collection via livestream fashion show, Shein Live: Front Row
Online fashion and lifestyle retailer Shein is gearing up to unveil its new spring/summer 2024 collection through a special episode of its interactive, shoppable livestream experience, Shein Live: Front Row.
This event is set to commence at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, 25th February, promising an immersive journey into the hottest trends for spring and summer fashion.
The three-hour livestream will be presented by Shein host Renee Ariel, featuring actress Teala Dunn, host of the Over Comfort podcast Jenicka Lopez, and the Mian Twins, Azra and Aisha.
It will be accessible via the retailer’s app across Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram via @sheinofficial, @shein_us.
Inspired by the warmer weather, the spring/summer collection consists of six collections: Effortlessly Elegant, Summer Vacay, Modern Classics, Casual Chic, Sweet as Honey, and Street Style.
“Building on the success of last fall’s Shein Live: Front Row event, we are thrilled to unveil the next chapter in our innovative virtual fashion experiences,” says George Chiao, President at Shein US.
“The spring/summer showcase continues as an interactive celebration of style that instantly connects our vibrant community to the latest Shein collections.”
Shein is calling on fans to share their looks from the event on social media by tagging @sheinofficial and @shein_us and using the hashtag #SpringintoSHEIN.
A chameleon
At the tail end of last year, Shein filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering with the US securities regulator, according to people close to the matter.
The company has disrupted the clothing industry with its on-trend $5 skirts and $9 jeans in the past few years. The 11-year-old firm is now one of the largest fashion brands in the world.
It has hired JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to advise it on the IPO.
Shein is backed by investors including Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, venture capital group Sequoia China and private equity group General Atlantic.
Chinese retailers and logistics companies are ahead of the curve, Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive, observed in a LinkedIn post.
“Most brands and apparel retailers have dismissed Shein as a threat to their business. In 2022, I spoke with a CEO at a major retailer who told me, “Shein is a fad. We aren’t concerned.” Big mistake,” he commented.
Shein, now based in Singapore, was valued at around $66 billion in a fundraising round in May.
A year before the latest fundraising, it had been valued at $100 billion, making the company worth more than the combined market capitalisation of H&M and Zara owner Inditex.
Ladd said: “Note to all retailers: The number of years you’ve been in business doesn’t matter. A better business model and a better value proposition can and will destroy your company.”
“Shein recorded $23 billion in revenue and $800 million in net profit in 2022 and told investors it delivered record revenue and income for the first three quarters of 2023. The retailer sells to online shoppers in more than 150 countries but not those in China. The US is Shein’s largest market.”
He added: “After dominating online clothing retail, it has been moving into other arenas including becoming a marketplace for third-party sellers. That puts it in competition Amazon and Temu.”
“I’m amazed at the number of analysts claiming that Shein isn’t a threat to Amazon and other apparel retailers like Target and Gap. It has already proved that it can and will pivot its business and form partnerships when strategic to do so.”
“For example, it acquired a stake in the operator of retailer Forever 21, which will allow the online only retailer to sell in its bricks and mortar stores, and bought British women’s fashion brand Missguided.”
Shein’s supply chain prowess is its superpower, Ladd believes.
It subcontracts thousands of factories, and places orders in small quantities to test the market appetite and replenish orders on demand.
“This is what makes its fashion fast. Only the apparel in demand is manufactured,” Ladd said.
He concluded: “Shein has also diversified its supply chain by manufacturing in Turkey and Brazil and India. It is a chameleon. It can become anything it wants and that makes it a dangerous competitor.”
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