Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo has slapped Chinese/fast fashion brand Shein with a lawsuit for allegedly ripping off its products. At the heart of the case is Uniqlo’s claim that Shein is flogging knock-offs of its popular ’Mary Poppins’ shoulder bag, which has become a thing on TikTok. Uniqlo wants Shein to stop selling its version of the bag and is after compensation. Uniqlo’s parent company (the ironically named Fast Retailing…) says “the imitation products … significantly undermine the high level of customer confidence” in its own brand. This isn’t Shein’s first rodeo – it’s previously been accused of copying products from smaller businesses. More broadly, Western nations have been pretty cross with China, alleging they are constantly ripping off other country’s intellectual property. 

And what a great opportunity to mention we spoke with Lauren Sams, the Financial Review’s fashion editor, who had some stunning insights into the fast fashion industry. You can listen to that podcast here…