Shekou is an international fashion brand that was founded in 2019 in New Zealand.
However, is Shekou a Fast Fashion brand? Is Shekou an ethical brand? Are they sustainable i.e. have they taken any steps to reduce their environmental impacts?
Moreover, is Shekou a real brand? And where does Shekou make its clothes?
We have tried to answer all of the concerns you might have about the ethics and policies of Shekou. Keep on reading to find out!
About Shekou
Shekou was founded in 2019 in New Zealand by a couple. The brand has expanded internationally and offers its online services in various countries around the globe.
The popularity of Shekou can be judged by looking at their social media followers. Shekou has more than 500k followers on Instagram and more than 1M fans on TikTok.
Shekou has two websites. One webiste is for the customers of New Zealand and Australia. While the other webiste is for international customers, where people from different countries of the world can order from the website.
Shekou doesn’t only sell online. They also have stores in Wellington and Auckland.
Shekou sells clothing, accessories, and footwear. Clothing items of Shekou include tops, jackets, sweaters, hoodies, bottoms, dresses, and swimwear.
Accessories of Shekou include necklaces, earrings, rings, sunglasses, hats, bags, etc. Shekou also has footwear and home decor items.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Fast Fashion is a relatively new term. However, it has become very popular in recent years.
According to the Cambridge dictionary, Fast Fashion means;
“Clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often.”
This definition describes two things i.e. cheap and new clothing. However, there is another important element in Fast Fashion that is; trend.
If we describe it simply, Fast Fashion refers to the transition of clothing trends from catwalks and social media to clothing stores.
The industry of Fast Fashion is rapidly growing. In 2020, the global market value of Fast Fashion was $25 billion. This value is expected to reach $40 billion by the end of 2025.
Many brands are adopting the model of Fast Fashion as it’s convenient and profitable for them.
Brands advertise that people should renew their wardrobe and should purchase new and trendy clothes. As these clothes are also cheap, people are easily attracted to these brands.
However, the Fast Fashion industry has caused some serious ethical and environmental problems.
- Garment workers are usually underpaid.
- Some brands work with sweatshops where workers are forced to work for several hours in inhumane conditions.
- To manufacture clothes, tons of carbon emission and thousands of litres of water are required. The Fast Fashion industry has also caused harm to the environment.
- Clothes that are not purchased by the customers are often thrown in landfills and can cause land pollution.
- People usually throw away their clothes when the trend dies away.
Is Shekou Fast Fashion?
Yes, Shekou is a Fast Fashion brand.
There are 3 elements of Fast Fashion; cheap, new, and trendy clothing. Shekou has all of these elements.
- Shekou has cheap products. The clothing, accessories, and footwear items of Shekou are cheaper compared to many other brands.
- Shekou often comes up with new clothes.
- Shekou has trendy and modern clothes.
As Shekou has all 3 elements of Fast Fashion. So it is a Fast Fashion brand.
Is Shekou Actually Ethical?
To find whether a brand is ethical or not, we need to look at its sustainability, labour ethics, and some other factors.
Sustainability
Shekou has provided a lot of information about the steps they have taken to reduce their environmental impacts.
Shekou aims to make all of its products from recycled or organic fibre by 2025.
The packaging material of Shekou is 100% plant-based and eco-friendly.
Shekou does not produce its clothes in large quantities. This is done to avoid the large amount of unsold clothing that might cause land pollution.
Animal Rights
On their website, Shekou mentions that;
“We have a strict no animal products policy. All of our products are 100% Vegan”.
So they don’t use animal fragments in their products.
Labour Ethics
Regarding this, Shekou states that;
“We ensure our staff are treated fairly across our supply chain and receive a living wage.”
Charity
Shekou donated 1% of its bikini sales to the coral garden. They also donate to One Tree Planted and the Breast Cancer Foundation.
Is Shekou Ethical?
Yes, Shekou is an ethical brand.
From all of the factors we mentioned above, we can conclude that Shekou is an ethical brand and takes care of the environment, workers and society.
Is Shekou A Real Brand?
Yes, Shekou is a real brand.
Shekou has a rating of 3.6 on Trustpilot. 63% of people rated it as an ‘excellent’ brand while 22% rated it as a ‘bad’ brand.
Some people say that the delivery service of Shekou is very poor as it takes months to get the product. While some people said that they had an excellent experience with Shekou and their order got delivered in a few days.
This mostly depends on the country or the courier service provider. So Shekou is a real brand.
Where Is Shekou Clothing Made?
Shekou makes its clothes in a factory located in Jiangsu, China.
Shekou has mentioned on their website that they continuously monitor the working conditions of the factory and ensure that all the workers are paid living wages.
Conclusion
Shekou is a fashion brand based in New Zealand. Their products can be ordered online from different countries of the world. They also have stores in Auckland and Wellington.
Shekou is a Fast Fashion brand. However, they make a few pieces of clothing so that unsold items won’t be wasted. They also have taken steps to reduce their environmental impacts.
Moreover, Shekou donated to different organizations which means they also contribute to society.
