France Mulls Penalties to Rein in Ultra-fast Fashion Brands

The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic
The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic
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France Mulls Penalties to Rein in Ultra-fast Fashion Brands

The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic
The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic

Fashion brands with ultra-fast product turnover such as China's Shein should be subject to penalties of up to 50% of their garments' selling price to offset their environmental impact, French ruling-majority MPs have proposed in a new bill.
The MPs say that ultra-fast fashion brands, rather than renewing their collections four times per year like traditional clothing brands, offer thousands of new products per day, inciting excessive spending and unnecessary pollution, Reuters reported.
"This evolution of the apparel sector towards ephemeral fashion, combining increased volumes and low prices, is influencing consumer buying habits by creating buying impulses and a constant need for renewal, which is not without environmental, social and economic consequences," the bill said.
The bill singled out Chinese ready-to-wear company Shein, saying that it on average presents more than 7,200 new garment models a day, and makes more than 470,000 different products available to consumers.
To offset the environmental impact of ultra-fast fashion, the MPs propose penalties of up to 10 euros ($10.86) per item sold, or up to 50% of the selling price, by 2030.
Shein, in a statement to French news agency AFP, said it follows "best international practices in terms of sustainable development and social commitment".
Following discussion in a parliamentary committee, the bill will be presented to parliament in the second half of March.
French Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said in a statement on Monday that following a meeting with industry players, activists and researchers, his ministry plans several measures to reduce fashion's environmental impact.
He said France plans a ban on advertising by ultra-fast fashion companies and the introduction of a financial incentives system to make ultra fast-fashion more expensive while sustainable fashion will become cheaper.
The popularity of fast fashion e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu has disrupted the retail sector. Shein taps a network of largely China-based suppliers, bucking traditional manufacturing trends by accepting small initial orders, then scaling up based on demand.
The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers' preferences.



Dior Appoints Jonathan Anderson as Design Chief for Women’s Wear and Haute Couture 

A security guard looks out from the store of French luxury goods company Dior on 5th Avenue in New York City, US, May 23, 2025. (Reuters)
A security guard looks out from the store of French luxury goods company Dior on 5th Avenue in New York City, US, May 23, 2025. (Reuters)
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Dior Appoints Jonathan Anderson as Design Chief for Women’s Wear and Haute Couture 

A security guard looks out from the store of French luxury goods company Dior on 5th Avenue in New York City, US, May 23, 2025. (Reuters)
A security guard looks out from the store of French luxury goods company Dior on 5th Avenue in New York City, US, May 23, 2025. (Reuters)

Dior is appointing its menswear designer Jonathan Anderson to also head womenswear designs and haute couture, replacing Maria Grazia Chiuri and widening his role as it seeks to reignite sales, the LVMH-owned label said on Monday.

"Jonathan Anderson is one of the greatest creative talents of his generation. Its unique artistic signature will be a key asset for writing the next chapter of the Dior house's history," LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement.

The French fashion house named Anderson, 40, in April as head of menswear designs, recruiting him from smaller LVMH label Loewe.

The award-winning Irish designer generated buzz around Loewe over the decade he spent at the Spanish label, thanks to quirky designs that caught the attention and praise of fashion critics.

Signature styles under his tenure include baggy, barrel-legged jeans priced at 800 euros ($909.92) and the compact Puzzle handbag, which sells for around 3,000 euros.

Anderson, whose departure from Loewe was announced in March, is one of several new high profile designers taking over some of the world's biggest fashion labels amid a wide-sweeping industry overhaul, including Chanel and Gucci.

The sector is struggling to pull out of a prolonged slump, weighed down by China's property crisis and economic uncertainty in the United States.

Top luxury houses are betting on new design direction to help rekindle interest from shoppers, who have pulled back on fashion as prices rise.

In his new role, Anderson succeeds Chiuri, 61, who was recruited in 2016. The first female creative director at the label, Chiuri relayed feminist messages and showcased artwork at her runway shows, which featured modern renditions of house classics, including Dior's famous, nipped-waist bar jackets, adding fluidity and sometimes a sporty flair to feminine gowns.