Monse and Shein – a Turbulent Romance in the Fashion World

A collaboration between the luxury brand Monse and fast fashion giant Shein is raising controversy and sparking questions about the future of fast fashion. This partnership is, by far, the most surprising collaboration of the last few years. While the intention behind it may have been noble, the collection itself, as well as its execution, leaves much to be desired. Such a tumultuous affair, even in the fashion world, was unlikely to end well. Let’s take a closer look at the high-profile Monse and Shein collaboration in the fast fashion industry!

Monse x Shein – a controversial collaboration

The Shein brand is known all over the world, although it does not have a very good reputation in the industry and among customers. Recently, it has become even louder about the company, as it has entered into a partnership with Monse – a young luxury brand (brand). This is an unusual duo, which surprised and caused an avalanche of comments. The idea was laudable, but in the case of this company from China, it’s hard to talk about high tailoring. Importantly, according to Shein, this combination of brands has a deeper meaning than just producing stylish clothes and accessories, as the main task is to support Dress for Succes Greater New York (helping women gain financial independence through business attire and other tools for their development). However, not everyone is convinced by the China-based giant, as it has long shown that it cares first and foremost about profit, and ultrafast fashion is the only way it wants to go.

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Monse brand

The company Monse is a luxury brand that produces clothing and accessories for women. Celebrities love the brand’s unfussy creations and are eager to appear on the red carpet in them. The young brand sells its outfits in top boutiques around the world, including on Net-a-Porte. The company was founded by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia in 2015. The designers are also creative directors of Oscar de la Renta’s company. From the beginning, the style and philosophy of the Monse brand was firmly focused on combining modernity with elegance. The duo creates for bold, self-confident women, using innovative cuts and techniques while focusing on refined tailoring. Monse places a strong emphasis on sustainability, high quality and takes a responsible approach to clothing production. It is the complete opposite of Shein, and in virtually every respect.

Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia — Photo: GettyImages

Shein I fast Fashion

Shein, despite being from far away Asia, is well known around the world. The Chinese online store was established in 2008, at first it was more of a courier company than an online boutique. Over time, the brand’s proprietary designs emerged, and operations expanded virtually around the globe. In 2011 the website sheinside.com was created, only in 2015 the domain was shortened to shein.com. The philosophy of Ultrafast Fashion, and this company at the same time, is fast fashion, which, unfortunately, is distinguished by poor quality, but offers the latest trends at a low price. The most important thing is that the goods reach the customer quickly, environmental impact and working conditions are not important in this case. Shein subcontracts everything, so they are responsible for the employees and the quality of the products. The company’s business model from the beginning is simple – global reach, low prices, no competition and good marketing. The large number of available goods is another philosophy of ultrafast fashion, and Shein fits perfectly into this scheme, as it offers novelties nonstop. The assortment is mainly purchased by young customers, not yet very conscious consumers.

Monse x Shein collaboration

Monse x Shein is a unique collaboration, because the first company is a representative of the luxury department, while the Singapore-based brand is very cheap and offers poor quality mass-produced goods. The policies of the two are radically different. Shein does not have a good reputation (as we wrote about in the article: “How is Shein’s ‘fast fashion’ made in China winning the hearts of TikTokers?“) in the industry due to violations of workers’ rights, including poor working conditions, as well as overstepping safety standards in the production department. Low prices of goods, easy availability and great variety nevertheless tempt people to purchase their products. Monse focuses on high-quality tailoring and on unique designs refined even to the smallest detail. The combination of completely different concepts seems completely contradictory, yet a limited collection was created, which did not receive much recognition, because it raises a mass of doubts despite the noble goal of helping women in need. The collaboration has its pros and cons, although it may do more harm than good, especially for Monse.

Monse x Shein collection

The Monse x Shein collection has shaken up the fashion world. Why? Collaboration combining luxury goods with ultrafast fashion is an incredibly risky business. The aesthetics of a low-cost brand juxtaposed with exclusivity and with high quality seems something difficult to reconcile. However, the Chinese giant has released limited edition outfits and accessories for women. What is supposed to make them stand out? Shein’s unique style at a good price, but in a more luxurious way. The garments themselves aren’t everything, as a big role is played by the presentation of 5 independent designers – Oxana Goralczyk (FRA), Jade Breyon (USA), Mathilde Lhomme (FRA), Aliya Brown (USA) and KL Allen (USA), who worked under the guidance of experienced Monse creatives, as well as the support of Dress for Succes Greater New York activities.

The Shein company and Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia hugely emphasize charity first and foremost and being driven solely by a worthy cause. Customers, however, perceive this collaboration quite differently. Consumers and fashion critics agree that Monse and Shein is nothing more than a commercial effort to improve the online store’s image, as well as provide a financial boost for both parties. Many in the industry believe that the collaboration is just a publicity stunt, as the Singapore-based company’s actions have not changed for the better for years.

Shein, however, assures that it has focused strongly on environmental protection, as well as sustainability. The Monse brand may certainly lose customers who valued not only their designs, but also their conscious and responsible approach to clothing production. This company’s image has been damaged, and it will be difficult to rebuild it now. Shein’s previous collaboration with another fashion designer Chistian Siriano was a complete failure, moreover, it ended in a loss of reputation for him. This shows that customers are becoming more conscious, additionally they want the fashion industry to change for the better mainly in terms of caring for the environment.

For more than a dozen years, chain stores have been inviting well-known names from the world of fashion to collaborate with them. The H&M brand regularly offers various collaborations, the same profile of action is implemented by Mango. The difference is that they choose brands and people who are popular, but above all have a reputation in the industry. Shein has been facing a bad reputation for years, as it strongly contributes to the environmental disaster, not to mention the exploitation of workers. By going commercial, Monse has lost its unique style, credibility and, at the same time, its position in the world of luxury selection. The industry will not soon forgive, and neither will customers. Moving away from sustainable fashion to ultrafast fashion never ends well.

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