On the favorite social network of young people, the Chinese site specializing in very cheap fashion benefits from free advertising thanks to the hashtag #zaradupe, which has been viewed millions of times.
History tends to repeat itself. Regularly accused of plagiarism and for a long time presented as a giant of the fast fashion, this time Zara finds himself in the camp of the copied. His alleged plagiarism is none other than the last of fashion’s behemoths, she infierce competitor since the pandemic that recently doubled H&M and Inditex (parent company of Zara) by betting everything on ultra speed and clothing at very low prices.
On TikTok, the subject is passionate. There is talk of several Shein models plagiarized from those of Zara with videos that have been viewed millions of times, but we are not offended. Their similarities are even emphasized to better rejoice in the good deal. Internet users, mostly young consumers, then use the hashtags #zaravsshein and #zaradupe (with more than 68 million views together) and congratulate themselves on finding a cheaper alternative to the Spanish brand’s clothing. There is no question here of discussing participation in a system that is harmful to the environment, or of concerns about working conditions in garment factories, even though these topics are mentioned regularly. Magic of marketing, the Chinese site benefits from incredible free and highly viral ads, such as the evictions (these videos posted on the networks suggesting purchases to other users) that helped propel it to the stage of the behemoths of ultra-fast fashion.
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Copying, a matter of fast fashion
Aside from the obvious “sprinkler sprinkled”, this case shows that taking on the work of others remains well and truly in the fast fashion habits. With the difference, however, that it is no longer just about fashion houses, independent designers or even ready-to-wear brands. With near-daily collections at rock bottom prices, Shein has made fashion even more disposable. And giants like H&M and Zara, who once revolutionized the clothing industry by introducing the concept of permanent renewal and the democratization of fashion (by copying, some would say), then became “worthy” labels.
