PARIS – Following a week of controversy around the announcement that Shein would partner with French brand Pimkie, the Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant has opened a pop-up store in Paris’ Marais district.
This marks the second physical store for Shein in France this year, following an outpost that opened in Dijon last June.
Just ahead of Paris Fashion Week, the pop-up is aimed to play up Paris as the world’s fashion capital, with a “style hunt” theme inspired by various neighborhoods in the city. The pop-up will run from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28.
“Paris is the capital of fashion, and its strength is to not be limited to a single style,” said Shein director of external relations Quentin Ruffat. “That’s exactly what we propose at Shein: a diversity that allows everyone to find what suits them. Our customers choose what they like and want to wear, and our mission is to make that fashion accessible to all.”
Inside the Shein pop-up in Paris.
Courtesy of Shein
The pop-up will also feature a dedicated space for Skintips, a French vegan skincare brand recently added to Shein’s marketplace. Positioned as a Gen Z-focused label, the Lyon-based brand will offer a “self care station” in the space.
“For Skintips, being present at the Shein pop-up, it’s above all about meeting our community,” said Skintips chief executive officer Laetitia Martinez. “We want to listen, exchange and share directly with the young people who inspire us and who bring the brand to life every day.”
Visitors were asked to register for entrance to the pop-up through Eventbrite.
The pop-up came amidst Shein’s controversial partnership with French high-street brand Pimkie. Announced Sept. 16 as part of Shein’s Xcelerator program, the joint venture will see Shein launch a Pimkie-branded online-only line. Pimkie chief executive officer Salih Halassi asserted the tie-up will return the company to profitability, bring in digital sales of 100 million euros by 2028, and support Pimkie’s growth of physical retail.
Following the joint venture announcement, the French Federation of Clothing Retailers expelled Pimkie from its ranks.
The decision, announced Sept. 19, came as trade groups criticized Shein for “circumvention of the rules and unfair competition to the detriment of the brands present and creating jobs in France.” They also condemned its “environmental practices” as incompatible with the industry’s ethos.
Halassi downplayed the expulsion. “In the more than two years since I took over Pimkie, I have not received any support from the various organizations and federations. Many were probably waiting for the end of the brand,” he said.
Pimkie was sold in 2023 by founders Association Familiale Mulliez, following a precipitous decline in foot traffic during and after the pandemic.
On Sept. 18, AFM stated the Shein partnership violated the terms of that sale and announced that it will file suit against Pimkie over the deal.
AFM, which still retains majority stakes in fast-fashion brand Kiabi and sport retailer Decathlon, framed the partnership as “contrary to the fundamental interests of the French textile industry.”
Earlier in the week, pan-European groups also responded to the news, with 22 fashion industry and textile organizations signing a declaration calling on the European Union to move quickly on legislation to curb Shein’s move into the bloc.
