Popular fashion retailer pulls ‘Swastika Pendant Necklace’ after social media backlash
Shein removes necklace but says it 'is a Buddhist swasitka'
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The online fast-fashion company Shein has sparked outrage among social media users over its “Metal Swastika Pendant Necklace” on Thursday, which it ultimately removed from its website.
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YouTuber and influencer Nabeela Noor, who had criticized the brand a week prior for selling Islamic-inspired prayer mats and attire, was one of the many social media users who shared their displeasure at Shein’s latest listing.
“So @SHEIN_official is back at it again. Even after speaking with the brand directly last week re: selling PRAYER MATS and their ‘promise for change,’ here we are. I will be reaching out to them today as we have been having ongoing conversations,” Noor wrote in a Tweet. “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”
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However, Shein is adamant that its necklace was not an act of malice and says it was "not selling a Nazi pendant."
“For the record, SHEIN was not selling a Nazi swastika pendant, the necklace is a Buddhist swastika which has symbolized spirituality and good fortune for more than a thousand years. The Nazi swastika has a different design; it is pointed clockwise and tilted at an angle,” a representative at Shein told FOX Business via email. “However, because we understand the two symbols can be confused, and one is highly offensive, we have removed the product from our site.”
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“As a multicultural and global brand, we want to apologize profusely to those who are offended, we are sensitive to these issues and want to be very clear that we in no way support or condone racial, cultural and religious prejudice or hostility,” the representative continued. “We are actively working through our internal structure and processes to resolve these issues, including a product review committee to ensure that we respect our diverse community. We are a global and all-inclusive brand and we are taking extreme measures to ensure that all items are cleared through a rigorous vetting process before we retail them.”
Four days prior to the swastika necklace, Shein issued an apology to its customers and social media followers for selling the prayer mats.
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Shein was founded by American-born Chinese entrepreneur Christ Xu in 2008. The brand was previously named SheInside and sells apparel, accessories and home goods.
In 2013, the company recruited designers from across the globe and offered a 30 percent commission on sales revenue as well as a long-term collaboration contract, according to a press release at the time.
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"These designers are young, creative and energetic. I like to work with them, and hopefully they can become our partners," Xu said at the time. "We want to work with people around the world as long as they would like to. This is a win-win thing."