Katrin Benhold
Appearances
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
And if she's right, that America can replicate the system and bring that kind of manufacturing to the U.S., that basically means the end of this ultra-cheap clothing for Americans? Yes.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Megan, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. So I know you've been reporting on Shein and other fast fashion companies for many years, but I can reveal to you that I am also an expert on the subject because I have a teenage daughter who spends a lot of her time and pocket money on Shein. And I did my research before coming on today and asked her about her latest haul.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
And some people might not be so unhappy about that, right? I mean, it sort of raises these bigger questions about our consumer culture. We've gotten so addicted to all this cheap stuff. And there is this question, kind of elephant in the room, you know, would we be better off if there was less stuff? And I guess I'm wondering, who's this going to hurt more long term? China or the U.S. ?
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
And the president himself does not actually dispute this. In fact, he seems to be actively embracing it. Remember when Trump recently said that thing about American kids don't need to have 30 dolls, maybe they can just have two or three? What do you make of that?
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
So he's kind of reframing this all as a good thing, that we'll be breaking a bad addiction to cheap stuff we don't need.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Tell me what she bought. So she got a lot of things. Wait for it. She got a bikini for $5, a jewelry box for $2.60, a phone case for $2, a tube top for $2, a couple of tank tops for $4 each, a claw clip for just under a dollar. And I think the single most expensive thing on her receipt was actually a pair of jean shorts for like $6. It's kind of insane. That sounds like a classic Shein haul.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
I think I need to introduce my daughter to some of those other TikTok channels. Good luck. Thank you, Megan. Thank you, Katrin. We'll be right back. Here's what else you need to know today. On Wednesday, President Trump met the new leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharah, a man who once ran a branch of al-Qaeda.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Last year, he led the rebel alliance that ousted Syria's longstanding dictator Bashar al-Assad. It was the first time in 25 years that leaders from the two countries had met, and came one day after Trump announced a plan to lift all sanctions on Syria. When asked what he made of his Syrian counterpart, Trump called him attractive and tough.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Trump also said al-Sharah had a good shot at turning his country around. The encounter marked a stunning reversal for the Syrian leader. Until just five months ago, the U.S. had offered up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest. Today's episode was produced by Ricky Nowetzki, Shannon Lin, and Anna Foley, with help from Claire Tennesketter.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
It was edited by Maria Byrne and Paige Cowett. Research help by Susan Lee. Contains original music by Marion Lozano, Diane Wong, Rowan Nemistow, and Pat McCusker, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brandberg and Ben Landsberg of Wonderly. Special thanks to C.E. Zhao. That's it for The Daily. I'm Katrin Benhold. See you tomorrow.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
And it's still closed, even though China and the U.S. passed their super high tariffs earlier this week?
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
For years, American consumers have been able to spend next to nothing on the latest fashion trends.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
What was the justification for letting this threshold be this high in the United States?
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
And let me guess, Shein was one of the companies that took that opportunity and ran with it.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
So let's talk about that. What does this entirely new business model look like?
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
If you want to be a baddie on a budget, Shein is the way to go. Thanks in large part to Chinese clothing companies like Shein.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Yeah, it is kind of crazy. You see something on TikTok and before you know it, it's delivered directly to your doorstep and for like no money. It's a little bit like consumerism on steroids or something.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
That have long used a loophole to send millions of packages a day into the U.S. from China, tax-free. But now... President Trump is killing that loophole, even as he de-escalates his larger trade war with China.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
It plays right into President Trump's narrative about China ripping off the United States.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Which is bad news for all the Americans who've become used to paying next to nothing for these clothes, right? But it sounds like it could be existential for companies like Shein and all the people who make the clothes.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
We'll be right back. So, Megan, you're actually talking to us from China. You're in China. Tell us about your recent trip to Guangzhou. What did you see?
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
So it sounds like it's actually a very sophisticated operation, almost like a sort of supercharged Ford assembly line.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
Today, I talk with my colleague Megan Tobin about whether this might be the end of fast fashion. It's Thursday, May 15th.
The Daily
The End of Fast Fashion?
But I imagine it can't be that easy to replace the American market because American consumers just seem to buy so much more stuff than anyone else.