Online Retailer SHEIN Faces Backlash For Offensive Necklace
On July 9th, the online retailer SHEIN faced immense scrutiny for one of its products. This product was a gold-colored necklace with a swastika pendant, allegedly titled, “Metal Swastika Pendant Necklace.” While the company explained that the swastika has been used to represent “spirituality and good fortune,” in the Buddhist religion, many consumers couldn’t help but be reminded of the swastikas used by Hitler, as a symbol of hatred and despicable actions.
(via Instagram)
Given public backlash, SHEIN took down the product and apologized on social media saying, “we made a gigantic mistake by selling a product that’s hurtful and offensive to many of you.” While SHEIN may not have intended for the product to offend anyone, the disturbing and negative connotations of the swastika should have been a red flag for the company.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that an apparel brand has created controversial products. In 2019, Burberry was under fire for showcasing a hoodie with noose strings. Ultimately, it’s essential to hold companies accountable for the products they create, especially if they can potentially promote racism, sexism, and more. Most importantly, how can companies more effectively regulate themselves and vet their products before releasing them to the public? Shein claims that “it’s making major internal changes so this doesn’t happen again,” but the details and effectiveness of these changes is yet to be determined.