Cardi B raises eyebrows for partnership with fast fashion retailer Shein

Shein, a fast fashion retailer, has previously faced accusations of copyright infringement and worker exploitation

Cardi B has raised eyebrows for her latest campaign with a popular fast-fashion brand, Shein.

The 32-year-old rapper shared a video to Instagram on Tuesday (December 3) to announce her campaign with the brand. In the video, she posed in a range of large jackets, fit for the cold winter months.

“Ladies, this year we’re investing in a good coat,” her voice said in the background of the clip, as she posed in a long, grey, puffy coat. “Don’t be walking around with that jean jacket you wore in the spring. Or don’t go into the club like, ‘I ain’t cold.’”

The video continued with another snap of the “Bodak Yellow” rapper walking down the stairs in a brown, leather coat. She noted that all her looks came from Shein, with each coat costing less than $200.

Cardi B’s next look was a tan jacket, with a puffy, fur hood. She also applauded her mother for buying her the jackets while “on a budget.”

Cardi B poses in fur coats from Shein for new partnership with the brand (cardib / Instagram)

She ended her video wearing a brown fur jacket, before sharing that Shein is currently having a sale with 90 percent off select items. She urged fans to use her code “BFCARDI” to get an additional 15 percent off their orders.

However, fans have made it clear that they’re not too impressed by Cardi B’s latest partnership.

“Girl, you wear Hermes and Chanel, not Shein,” one person commented on her Instagram post, while another person on X/Twitter wrote: “Shein????? Really is this who we are as a society now why the hell on God’s green earth is Cardi doing shein adverts.”

“This is so embarrassing. Shein promo…. she needs to regroup and figure something else because…” a third user posted.

Despite some of the criticism, other fans defended Cardi B for working with Shein and admitted they liked the brand. They also weren’t surprised by the singer’s campaign, since she’s previously partnered with fast-fashion brands, including Fashion Nova.

“Omg love! If Cardi wears SHEIN, I will wear SHEIN,” one fan commented on her Instagram post.

“Yall must’ve forgotten when Cardi was rocking Fashion Nova, let’s not act brand new, y’all must be new here,” another person wrote. Meanwhile, some people praised Cardi B for simply making the clothes from Shein look appealing.

“I’m tryna figure out if they look that good [forreal]  or she just making them look expensive,” one fan wrote in the comments of her Instagram post, while another quipped: “When u can dress u can make anything look rich and not cheap!”

The Independent has contacted a representative for Cardi B for comment.

Shein, a fast fashion retailer founded in China, has become known for its inexpensive and abundant clothing options, with the company valued at more than $100 billion. The e-commerce brand has been at the center of much controversy since its founding in 2008, with accusations of worker exploitation, stolen ideas from independent designers, and contributing to the environmental damage caused by the fast-fashion industry.

The brand was previously accused by independent designers of infringement-related racketeering activities in a RICO lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in July 2023, claimed the clothing giant had used “secretive algorithm” to identify trending art and allegedly reproduced artists’ designs for its fast fashion website.

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for Shein said at the time: “SHEIN takes all claims of infringement seriously, and we take swift action when complaints are raised by valid IP rights holders. We will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit and any claims that are without merit.”