Shein allegedly steals artists' artwork
Shein is facing another art theft allegation, as reported by The Guardian. This time, the online fashion retailer is accused of stealing Vanessa Bowman’s painting. Without noticing Bowman, Shein went on to use the painting as the design of its £17 Christmas jumper.
“I had at no point been asked and in no way would have agreed to the use of an image on knitwear and am really angry that my work has been used without my permission,” Bowman wrote in her Instagram post caption.
Bowman learned that Shein uses her painting from her fan who sent her an email asking whether Bowman is doing a collaboration with Shein. She was baffled as she had not partnered with the multibillion dollar online clothing company. She alleges that Shein plastered her picture on its product without ever getting in touch.
“They didn’t remotely bother trying to change anything,” she said. “The things I paint are my garden and my little village: it’s my life. And they’ve just taken my world to China and whacked it on an acrylic jumper.”
Shein is a notorious copycat retailer, earning a bad reputation from its long list of alleged copyright breaches. The hashtag #ShameOnShein is getting more traction, as artists are using it when they share that Shein has stolen their artworks.
One artist claimed that Shein uses her skeleton artwork for its phone case design. “Shein stole my art and slapped it on a phone case, not sure if I should be flattered or mad,” the artist said.
Another artist whose frog artwork is used on stickers sold on Shein said that she felt “a little bit of a sick feeling” when finding out that Shein has copied her work where she had spent “hours creating new and fresh designs”. In addition, she said that she does not want to be associated with the online retailer in any way.
Some big brands/companies including Dr Martens and Levi Strauss have also taken legal action against Shein over similar copyright infringement.
The world’s biggest online fashion firm is also known for its murky ethical track record, including on the environment and workers’ rights.