Shein has taken over the fast fashion industry, offering trendy clothes at incredibly low prices. In just a few years, it has grown into a global giant, competing with brands like Zara and H&M. But behind its rapid success lies a hidden world that most shoppers never see.
1. What Is “Shein Village”?
โShein Villageโ refers to clusters of small garment factories and workshops in Guangzhou, China. These factories operate at extreme speed, relying on migrant workers who endure long hours, high pressure, and unpredictable workloads.
The Bigger Picture
But Shein isn’t the only fast fashion company using this model. The real question is: is this a problem unique to Shein, or is it just how the fast fashion industry works? And more importantly, what does this mean for the workers, especially the women who make up the majority of the workforce?
Not Just One Factory
โShein Villageโ isnโt a single placeโitโs a network of small garment workshops spread across Guangzhou. Some factories have dozens of workers, but many are tiny, often family-run operations packed into urban villages. Except for big brands like Shein, these workshops also supply many other fast fashion brands worldwide. Therefore, this article extends beyond just Shein as a company. The term โShein Villageโ broadly refers to factories in the fast fashion industry.
2. Why Guangzhou: Origins and Present Day
Guangzhou has been a global trade hub for decades. In the 1980s and 90s, cheap labor, easy access to materials, and government support helped it become a manufacturing powerhouse.
Zhongda Textile Market: The Industryโs Beating Heart
Today, Guangzhouโs Zhongda Textile Market fuels a vast network of garment production.This commercial area hosts over 60 textile and accessory markets, with more than 23,000 storefronts and around 16,000 business owners. It directly employs about 100,000 people, while over 2 million others rely on it through related industries.
Urban Village: A Dense Web of Workshops
Take Lujiang and Kangโle villages as examples. Within just 1 kmยฒ, youโll find nearly 10,000 small garment workshops packed together.
These tiny, independent spaces support over 300,000 people working in garment production and processingโmaking it one of the most concentrated manufacturing zones in the world.
3. โShein Villageโ Labour Practices
Production Model and Workforce Structure
Walk through these villages, and youโll hear the hum of sewing machines everywhere. Fast fashion operates on a small-batch, ultra-fast production model. To keep up, factories rely on day labourers (ๆฅ็ปๅทฅ ri jie gong), who are paid per piece or per day.
How Fast Fashion Moves at Lightning Speed?
The client places an order today, and by the next morning, the clothes are ready. This is called xiao dan kuai fan ๏ผๅฐๅๅฟซๅ/่ฟ๏ผ, meaning โsmall order, fast responseโ. This customer-driven model allows for small batches with diverse designs, enabling brands to quickly adapt to market trends. Take Shein as an example:
- A design can go from concept to production in as little as 7 days.
- Shein releases up to 6,000 new styles daily, matching trends almost instantly.
- Low inventory reduces waste: if a style doesnโt sell well, they simply stop producing it.
Different Roles, Same Pressure
Under this production model, workers take on different tasks, and each group works staggered hours:
- Sewing: The core of production, done in long shifts. Workers often leave around midnight
- Finishing (Wei Bu): Cutting loose threads, steaming, and preparing garments. Workers stay until 3โ4 AM.
- Packaging: Finalising products for shipment. This teams finish last, sometimes early in the morning, ensuring clothes are shipped the same morning
This non-stop schedule allows fast fashion brands to respond instantly to market trends.
Unstable Jobs, Uncertain Income
As mentioned above, many workers find jobs daily. A man in one interview took reporters around the region, searching for work. โDay jobs arenโt guaranteed,โ he explained, โbut they pay well when you find them.โ
No Social Security, No Insurance
Unlike formal employment, day labourers work without contracts, social security, or health insurance. If a worker gets sick or injured, they bear the cost alone.
โFreeโ Working Hours?
Technically, workers choose their hours. For factory workers, during slower months like June and July, some workers take breaks to spend time with family. But in reality, long shifts are the norm. The pressure to produce is relentless, and overwork takes a toll.
A factory owner admitted, โLast month, a boss collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. In this industry, everyone has back and neck problems. Ambulances come here all the time.โ Yet, even with the risks, workers push on, because resting means no income.
Freedom or Survival?
With a day-labourer structure, work is highly unpredictable. One couple described their reality:
โRunning a small workshop like ours is exhausting. It’s tiring when there’s work, and it’s even more stressful when there isn’t. Your mind is constantly on edge.โ
When orders come in, they rush to meet tight deadlines. When thereโs no work, they worry about how to survive the next week. Itโs a constant back-and-forth: they try to catch their breath between two forms of pressure.
โNo boss forces usโwe work for ourselves. If you need money, do you really need a boss to tell you to work?โ
Their income fluctuates based on available orders and market rates. Some days, they work long hours and make decent money. Other times, low pay means an entire dayโs work isnโt enough to cover daily expenses.
โShein Villageโ Workplace: Overcrowded and Unsafe
Workshops in urban villages are packed into โhandshake buildingsโ (ๆกๆๆฟ wo shou fang) with barely any space. Narrow alleyways, known as “one-line sky” (ไธ็บฟๅคฉ yi xian tian), leave little light or ventilation.
Safety is a major issue. Inside urban villages, many garment workshops operate within self-built residential buildings. Some separate production and living spaces, while others combine both. Often, living, production, and storage share a single space, creating serious fire hazards. But for workers, survival comes first, safety is a luxury they canโt afford to worry about.
4. Is Sheinโs Supply Chain Transparent?
Opinions vary. Some say Shein has improved transparency, with a standardised procurement system and clear pricing, making various stages more transparent. Others argue that hidden workshops and subcontracting make true oversight impossible.
Yet, in the broader fast fashion industry, where small workshops operate without contracts or social security, true transparency remains highly uncertain.
Why Do Factories Accept This Model?
Fast fashion thrives on low costs and high-speed production, forcing factories to cut costs to stay competitive.
When surveyed about payment issues with order distributors, workers reported experiencing missing payments in the past.
However, some noted that the situation has improved recently, as distributors need to maintain their reputation. Others pointed out that, unlike smaller companies, Shein, despite pushing costs down, provides stable orders and does not default on payments.
No Better Choice
For many small and mid-sized factories, orders are unpredictable. With intense competition and razor-thin profits, rejecting orders (even under harsh conditions) isnโt an option.
This is part of the highly competitive manufacturing industry in China, where factories underbid each other to stay afloat, trapping workers in a cycle of exhausting hours.
5. Women in the Fast Fashion Supply Chain
Women form the backbone of โShein Villageโ and similar garment hubs. Yet, despite their central role, they face harsh conditions, double burden, little opportunity for advancement, and lack of protection.
Why Focus on Women?
Take Kangโle Village as an example, female workers are the backbone of both their families and the industry: contributing nearly 5% of Chinaโs total garment production.
Many start working young. One interviewee noted that girls often drop out of school earlier than boys, though the exact reasons remain unclear.
Limited Mobility and Unequal Pay
Despite being the backbone of production, reports show that women face lower wages than men while working longer hours under harsher conditions. They face:
- Harsh conditions, with long shifts and repetitive strain.
- Gender discrimination, limiting promotions and pay raises.
- Double burden, forcing women to juggle childcare and household duties. Many choose flexible jobs, but this means unstable income and fewer protections.
A Story of Struggle and Strength
Zhu Lingyu, a former editor at China’s largest women workers’ rights platform, published Her Factory Doesn’t Build Dreams (ใๅฅน็ๅทฅๅไธ้ ๆขฆใ) in 2022. In this book, Zhu captures the realities of female workers.
One previous garment worker, Wanwan, suffered severe eye strain and spinal issues from years of factory work. One morning, she woke up unable to move her arm. Doctors diagnosed her with paralysis caused by cervical spine disease, requiring rest and treatment.
With no sick pay, she relied on coworkers to help her recover. โThis doesnโt count as a work injury. Work injuries come with paid leave. I got no allowance,โ Wanwan said.
Just as she improved, she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Feeling hopeless, she wondered: If I collapse, who will take care of my child? Who will earn money?
Her roommates, also factory workers, helped her through. “They washed my hair, encouraged me, and gave me hope,” she recalled.
Lack of Protection
While women face harassment and unsafe conditions, they are rarely addressed. Although Chinaโs Womenโs Rights Protection Law promises workplace protections (especially during menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), they are largely ignored in factories.
With low pay, high pressure, and little security, women remain trapped in a cycle of relentless labor.
6. How Can We Help?
Shein Village is just one example of fast fashionโs supply chain, a system that relies on high-speed production at the expense of workers. Women, in particular, face harsh conditions with little protection. So, what can we do as individuals?
As Consumers
- Choose ethical brands that prioritize fair wages, production transparency and sustainable practices.
- Buy second-hand clothing to reduce reliance on fast fashion.
- Reduce personal waste by reimagining your existing wardrobe. Mix and match pieces in new ways to create fresh looks without buying more clothes.
- Demand supply chain transparency, encouraging brands to disclose their production practices.
For Those Interested in Social Action
- Support fair trade NGOs like Clean Clothes Campaign and Fashion Revolution.
- Engage in global labor rights movements, advocating for better wages and protections for garment workers.
A Note on Sources
This article relies primarily on published resources (e.g. news reports, research papers, and fieldwork essays) to ensure credibility. While some references come from vloggersโ field videos, it’s important to recognize their potential limitations, such as a lack of formal research methods or ethical frameworks.
That said, some anthropology student teams have published fieldwork-based articles that support and validate many of these vlog observations. Even when lacking academic depth, these vloggers have contributed significantly by conducting extensive on-the-ground interviews and helping bring hidden realities to light.
Conclusion
Fast fashionโs labor issues are not unique to Shein, and instead, they reflect a systemic problem in the industry. Its production model and workforce structure create long working hours with little social protection, especially for women, who make up an important part of the workforce yet lack basic rights and security.
The future of fashion shouldnโt come at the cost of worker exploitation. Change is possible, but only if all players, from consumers to corporations, take action.
Which part of this story stood out to you the most? What are your thoughts on fast fashion’s labor practices? Feel free to comment below!
Yutong is a sociology student exploring labor, culture, and sustainability through human-centred storytelling. She writes about people, practices, and ideas shaping the future of fashion and society.
Reference List
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1 thought on “The Hidden World Behind Shein Village”
I would say Wanwans’ story stood out the most. It’s more impactful when you focus on the suffering of an individual as opposed to the collective. Keep showcasing the struggles of the individual for people to willingly change the way that they shop.