Not a designer, but she likes it that way.
Rapper Cardi B has traded in her Birkins for budget items, showcasing a collection of faux fur coats from fast fashion retailer Shein in a collaboration that has sparked controversy online.
In a new Instagram Reels video that grabbed over 11 million views this week, the “Drip” rapper showed off multiple winter coats from the e-commerce site, encouraging her followers to invest in “a good coat” from the retailer.
“Don’t walk around in that denim jacket you wore in the spring. Or don’t go clubbing like “I’m not cold,” she said in the clip, in which she claimed the “expensive”-looking coats were bought by her mother “on a budget.”
But fans were divided on her partnership with the controversial company – which recently faced backlash after revealing child labor had been discovered in its supply chain – with the ‘Up’ rapper being shamed for her clip, with some even going so far as you pledge not to follow the recording artist.
“Girl you wear Hermes and Chanel not Shein,” one commenter quipped.
“Cardi knows damn well she doesn’t shop at Shein,” another snarled.
“Are you kidding me? This is embarrassing,” one user slammed the “Bodak Yellow” rapper.
“I’m trying to figure out if they look that good [for real] or it just makes them look expensive,” wrote another.
“A multi-millionaire is telling you all to get Shein,” one person quipped.
“The prime example is not what you wear, but how you wear it,” argued another.
“Omg love! If Cardi wears Shein, I’ll wear Shein,” one user said.
“Why is this embarrassing?!” One person clapped back, recalling how Cardi B “made videos” talking about fast fashion brands like Fashion Nova or Rainbow.
“Ppl still need affordable fashion and ppl are still shopping at Shein!”
Shein has faced scrutiny over the budget brand’s influence on the planet.
Last year, Time reported that the label uses “virgin polyester” and consumes massive amounts of petroleum for production, resulting in an estimated 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
One study, cited by the magazine, claimed that the company’s CO2 output is roughly the same as 180 coal-fired power plants.
Also according to Time, workers face allegedly unsafe and unethical workplace conditions.
The newspaper reported that workers making cheap clothing were forced to work in buildings that did not follow safety precautions and that the company had violated Chinese labor laws.
But the company, founded in 2008, is still a hit among Gen Z shoppers.
Under the brand’s TikTok hashtag, millions of videos have been posted showing creators showing off their latest finds on the shopping platform and flaunting their giant wares.
While some critics joked that the rapper was making brand deals to promote Shea because she was supposedly broke, Cardi B was quick to put those rumors to rest.
“People say I’m surviving the Shein deals and the brand deals — hang on,” she said in a voice recording posted on X this week. “I want to let you all know that I can wake up tomorrow, sign a contract and have half of $65 million — or half of $70 million — in my bank.”
In fact, the “WAP” rapper, who just gave birth to her third child with Offset this year, claimed she spends “about $3 million a month.”
She even posted the receipts online, sharing a screenshot of the redacted text messages of a supposed tour contact that was on the job this fall before she pulled the plug.
“I don’t want to do a tour deal until I announce my album, because when I announce my album, I know they’re going to make it better,” Cardi said, adding that 2024 was her “break year.”
“You have to move smartly. You can’t act hungry when you’re not.”
#Cardi #Shein #Collaborator #Criticized #Disgraceful #Rapper #Hits #Critics #Wait #Hold
Image Source : nypost.com