Breaking Up With Everlane
The Cut • • business
Key Points:
- Shein has officially acquired Everlane, a brand once celebrated for its commitment to sustainable fashion and radical transparency, for a reported $100 million, marking a controversial shift given Shein's fast-fashion reputation.
- Everlane's founder stepped down in 2022, and subsequent leadership changes preceded the sale, reflecting the brand's long-standing transformation and decline in consumer trust.
- Crystal Chen, a former devoted Everlane customer and creator of the Slow Buy Club, has publicly expressed disappointment over Everlane's declining quality, marketing tactics, and ethical compromises, including misleading product origins.
- Chen views the acquisition as a symbolic end to the millennial-era dream of conscious consumerism, highlighting her personal journey from brand loyalty to disillusionment and a more intentional, skeptical approach to shopping.
- The story underscores broader shifts in the fashion industry, where once-ethical brands face pressures that challenge their values, leaving consumers to reconsider their relationships with such companies.