Last week, a low-budget Chinese mega-retailer sparked outrage on Black Twitter after the brand seemingly threw racist shots at Black folks on its website.
On April 15, Twitter users noticed that SHEIN used a monkey with a banana to represent the color black for clothing on its massive menu.
@niicole_nicole was among the first to call out the raggedy retailer for its seemingly racist category.
“Ummmmm okay, SHEIN,” she wrote in the caption.
Shortly after, the tweet had Black folks denouncing the monkey and banana combo.
One Twitter user tagged directly on the social media platform.
“@SHEIN_Official, can you explain why the icon for black is a picture of a monkey holding bananas when searching for jumpsuits??????”
While SHEIN quickly removed the monkey with the banana icon without commenting on the egregious incident, this situation isn’t the first time the online retailer has done some fugazi shit concerning its Black customers.
On April 18, another Twitter user pointed out that the Chinese online outfitter sold a blush labeled “Tramp” with the photo of a dark-skinned Black model posing with the product.
“@SHEIN_Official, so let me guess y’all find nothing wrong w/ the dark brown blush powder being named TRAMP?? Y’all on a roll with playing in our faces first the monkey in the black clothing category now this @itsKenBarbie @fameolous_ #BlackTwitter,” she wrote.
Ironically, SHEIN had been called out for the same image in 2021. In this instance, the retailer didn’t remove the racist and misogynistic blush image from its cosmetics menu.
Even a white woman thought the trash image was problematic.
In May 2021, SHEIN came under fire again after they sold a cellphone case with a Black person in handcuffs outlined in white chalk. The company sold it for a disgraceful $1.50. The cellphone case wasn’t removed from the site until one customer told the company that she wasn’t patronizing the cheap clothier’s business anymore. SHEIN also issued a useless apology, pointing out that it was “art” and the company didn’t know it was offensive.
Chris Xu, backed by Sequoia China, founded the mass-producing outlet in 2012. The brand blew up during the pandemic when physical clothing stores were closed. According to Forbes Magazine, the 39-year-old mogul is worth $10.5 billion. Xu hasn’t commented on any of SHEIN’s consumers’ concerns.
The latest incident with the Chinese retailer really spells out the company’s lack of respect for its Black-female customer base. And part of the reason is– although folks were outraged on Twitter, some Black women will overlook the constant slap in the face for cheap, poorly-made fits. And that’s cool, but the faux outrage every other month over a retailer that does not care about Black women’s feelings or history– is exhausting, considering our buying power.
Although 63% of Black women will pay top dollar for high-quality merchandise and not be included in campaigns, sisters make excuses instead of demanding their respect through the pockets of clothing conglomerates.
And SHEIN is worth $100 billion.
Our empty words are par for the course regarding companies like SHEIN. And maybe for some of us, a $5 jumpsuit under a monkey with a banana is enough to overlook the disrespect– but sometimes, we have to take our purses and swag on to the next brand.
