Fashion influencers in war of words over hypocrisy claims: 'I have never said I am a sustainability creator'
A war of words broke out between two prominent fashion influencers over claims of hypocrisy about sustainability, drawing hundreds of thousands of views and many commenters eager to chime in.
On Dec 22, thrift store owner Bhabie called out an unnamed fashion influencer for their Taobao advertisements promoting fast fashion, even while they were "advocating for sustainability".
E-commerce sites Taobao and Shein, known for their fast-fashion products, have drawn much criticism for alleged unsustainable practices.
Bhabie said she had reposted a screenshot of the influencer's "I'm a Taobao girlie" post in the comment section, which got her blocked.
Captioned, "ate beef for lunch, might get some tea later", the post has since garnered over 162,800 views, 7,305 reactions and 62 comments.
"She also said that 80% of her wardrobe is thrifted, the few pieces that she bought on Taobao should not overshadow the effort," Bhabie quipped.
While Bhabie acknowledged there is nothing inherently wrong with the influencer doing a Taobao advertisement, she suggested the influencer likely selected her own promotional items on Taobao — including a "$10 pink co-ord set" and a "$5 crochet hat" — which Bhabie claimed "can't possibly be made ethically".
Shannon, who identified herself as the fashion influencer Bhabie was alluding to, quickly responded in a post the next day: "I have never ever said that I am a sustainability creator."
Clarifying that she had only made one purchase from Taobao this year, she stressed that her content aims to take followers along on her fashion journey and to "open access to fashion for everyone".
"I feel that drama like this just brings apart a very small fashion community in Singapore that is already very isolated and judged by the rest of Singaporean society."
The Dec 23 post has since racked up more than 112,500 views, 3,866 reactions and 42 comments.
The controversy was first sparked by influencer Sheeram, who criticised creators for "preaching about sustainability" while posting Taobao and Shein ads.
"What (does) it (mean) to chase a bag, (what is the) purpose of being sustainable and thrifting if you are just going to create advertisements for Taobao and Shein?"
Bhabie echoed this point in her own video where she called Shannon out.
'Taobao has independent designers': Netizens
While most commenters sided with Shannon, some did agree with Bhabie, pointing out fashion brands and independent designers she could have promoted instead.
Netizens also noted that Taobao has begun working with independent designers, moving beyond merely selling fast-fashion products.
"If they keep preaching about sustainability then it does seem hypocritical that they are donning Taobao," one user commented.
"I learned that machines can't crochet btw so that's worse," one user commented.
Another added: "We're all just trying to have fun on (TikTok)."
