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A group of influencers have come under fire after posting glowing videos from their paid trip to a factory owned by controversial fast fashion retailer Shein in Guangzhou, China. Shein, which has been previously accused of labour abuse and admitted to breaching rules around working hours, brought the group of six fashion influencers from the US to tour its “Innovation Factory”. Influencer and model Dani Carbonari was one of the influencers who went on the trip and posted a video tour on her social media last week. After facing criticism from her followers – of which she was more than 481k on Instagram and nearly 300k on TikTok – Carbonari appears to have deleted the post. In her original post, she wrote in her caption that the trip to Shein’s factory gave her the opportunity to see with her “own two eyes what the entire process of Shein clothing looks like from beginning to end”. “I feel more confident than ever with my partnership with Shein. There are so many companies not taking half the initiative Shein is. They are aware of every single rumour and instead of staying quiet they are fighting with all of their power to not only show us the truth but continue to improve and be the best they can possibly be,” the “confidence activist” continued. The video showed a brightly lit factory, with staff working in clean, dust-free conditions and automated bots that assisted with processing and packaging orders. The other influencers, Destene Sudduth, Aujene, Fernanda Stephany Campuzano, Kenya Freeman, and Marina Saavedra, also shared similarly glowing Instagram posts about their visit. Viewers have pointed out that the influencers appeared to use a “script” for their posts, as they involved similar language. In her post, Saavedra said: “Like many others, I’ve heard a lot of misinformation”, while Carbonari wrote: “You have to remember our country is filled with so much prejudice – we want to believe we’re the best and no one else can be better.” @shein_us Get a glimpse of the process of how your purchases are packaged directly from our facility and delivered to your doorstep. Watch as our partners discover the cutting-edge tech that streamlines our operations and receive a hands-on experience in packaging. Stay tuned to the #SHEIN101 series to learn more of what goes on behind the scenes at #SHEIN #SHEINOnTheRoad ♬ original sound - SHEINUS But viewers have pointed out that the influencers’ comments about the Shein factory they saw – one of 6,000 factories that the online retailer has, according to Time magazine – do not address the allegations that have been levelled over Shein’s labour and environmental impact. Channel 4 launched an investigation last year that involved an undercover worker filming inside two Shein factories in Guangzhou and found that workers receive a base salary of 4k yuan per month (approximately £434) to produce 500 pieces of clothing per day. The investigation also found that workers in both factories were working up to 18-hour days regularly and were only given one day off a month. Later, Shein said that after conducting an independent investigation, it found that employees indeed working longer hours than the local laws allowed. Shein found that staff at one factory were working up to 13-and-a-half hour days with two to three days off a month, while those at the second site worked up to 12-and-a-half hour days with no fixed structure for days off. It said that “while these are significantly less than claimed in the documentary, they are still higher than local regulations permit”. At the time, Shein vowed to invest US$15m (£11.8m) to improve standards at its supplier factories. On Twitter, one person wrote: “Shein is sending the influencer girlies to China to some (PR) ‘innovation’ factory where it looks pristine and super clean and the workers are having fun while sewing and the company saying they pay a ‘competitive’ wage lol.” Another said: “The funniest part of the Shein debacle to me is the influencers acting like they went undercover to investigate. You were invited, of course, it’s PR.” A third added: “Them Shein influencers getting cooked and Shein ain’t [sic] defending them. Meanwhile the girls are doing their best to explain to us why Shein ain’t too bad. It’s sad.” The Independent has contacted Shein, Carbonari, Sudduth, Aujene, Campunazo, Freeman and Saavedra for comment. Read More Give Greenpeace a chance: Art and activism join forces for Glastonbury’s campaign for the future Harry and Meghan’s ‘lack of productivity’ left Spotify and Netflix bosses ‘underwhelmed’, report says A woman stopped cleaning after her husband accused her of doing ‘nothing’. Then she filmed the results Princess Diana’s ‘black sheep’ jumper predicted to sell at auction for up to £70,000 The best onstage fashion at Glastonbury Glastonbury 2023: All the best fashion at the biggest UK festival of the year

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