Furor over Fast Fashion in France

0:02Today on State of the World, the furor over fast fashion in France. you're listening to state of the world from npr the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening i'm christine ariesmith in paris an iconic department store synonymous with quality and style is allowing china's fast fashion behemoth xian to open a permanent boutique. And the city's champions of fine couture are outraged. NPR's Rebecca Rossman has the story. Nearly 170 years ago, a young shopkeeper named Xavier Ruel set up a small store in the center of Paris. His idea was simple, good quality at fair prices.

0:49That little shop grew into a city landmark, the Bazaar de l 'Hôtel de Ville, or BHV. But here inside the eight-story department store, a new arrival is stirring outrage. The Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein is set to open its first permanent boutique here on November 1st. Marie Cousson, a long-time customer, tells me she's disgusted by the move and will boycott not just Shein, but all of BHV. The store has sold its soul to the devil, she says, and she came in to say goodbye to the staff. In 2023, BHV was bought by a property group called Société des Grands Magasins, the same company bringing Sheehan into several gallery Lafayette department stores around France.

1:38Some French brands have already packed up and left in protest. Others are starting a movement. Across town, in the 11th arrondissement, a crowd has gathered at the opening night for La Maison des Autre-Mauds, a new headquarters for a collective of designers and activists promoting sustainable fashion. Aria Levy runs the show here. A petition she launched opposing Sheehan's arrival has topped 100 ,000 signatures. We're in the center of Paris. I mean, it's just, it's enough. It's enough. We have to say enough. And people have to say we don't want to stand for this. That frustration has also reached City Hall.

2:20Florenton Laetitia, deputy mayor for sustainability and waste reduction, says Paris can't claim to be green while welcoming Xi 'an. For us, Xi 'an represents ultra-fast fashion. It's a model we must fight. These are cheap clothes made in modern slavery conditions. It's bad for the planet, and it's bad for Parisian designers. Paris' mayor and Hidalgo went further, calling the move, quote, a betrayal of Paris' value. In June, the French Senate passed a bill that would ban ads for ultra-fast fashion brands, fine influencers who promote them, and add an eco-tax of up to 10 euros per garment by 2030.

3:02Regulators also fined Shein 40 million euros for misleading discounts. Shein didn't respond to NPR's request for an interview, neither did SJM, the property group opening Shein boutiques in its department stores. But in a statement, the company said the partnership, quote, aims to attract a younger, more connected clientele. In an upmarket French fashion shop called Paul & Joe, just off the swanky Boulevard Saint-Germain, Marie-Emmanuel Demure, the CEO, is showing me fashion that is anything but fast. She picks up a tailored coat. You can see there, this is special buttons that were made by hand, one by one.

3:44Shein, she says, has no such craftsmanship, adding the brand has built a reputation for stealing designs. They steal from anyone, any brand, so they don't respect humans, they don't respect the earth, and they don't respect their creativity. Thibault Ledunois is director of innovation at the French Fashion Council, which represents ready-to-wear labels like Paul and Joe. He points out that Shein has already expanded into home goods, cosmetics, and accessories. Their strategy is to become the supermarket of the world, and this is what we have to be really aware of. Which may be why nearly 170 years after Xavier Ruel opened his little shop for quality goods at fair prices, Parisians are still fighting to keep his dream alive.

4:29Rebecca Rossman, NPR News, Paris.

4:36That's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening.