Followers are criticizing TikTok influencer Drew Afualo, who’s known for public takedowns of misogynists, over her partnership with Shein, a fast-fashion brand that has been accused of exploiting its workers.
Afualo, who has 6.9 million TikTok followers, posted about her brand deal with Shein on March 16. In her video, she shows off a haul of items she has from Shein’s SheinX collection, which is a collaboration with independent designers. The TikToker also alerts viewers of a discount code they can use when shopping at Shein.
Afualo defended her partnership against critical comments, stating that “not everyone can afford to shop sustainably,” “sustainable fashion is a privilege,” and that commenters are “casting stones from a glass house.” She also cited that Shein sells affordable plus-size clothing. (The Daily Dot has reached out to Afualo for comment via email.)
Shortly after Afualo posted about the partnership, TikTokers posted videos criticizing the move. TikToker @agojaa said she was disappointed in Afualo and cautioned viewers against “[glorifying] influencers.”
“It really saddens me that Drew chose to collaborate with a brand which is well known for exploiting people, focusing on fast fashion, and microtrends,” @agojaa says in her video, which by Thursday had been viewed over 35,000 times. “Which are probably the biggest issue in fast fashion at the moment.”
She also says Drew’s “haul” was problematic itself and that she disagrees with Afualo’s “promoting and profiting” off of Shein.
An investigation from Sixth Thone found that some of Shein’s factories “are considered a fire risk,” and the BBC reported on an investigation from Public Eye that found that Shein employees work extended hours to make a living wage.
Alice March, another TikToker, posted her thoughts about the partnership on March 22. She said that even though she “fucking [loves]” Afualo, she was upset that the influencer publicized how much money she has made via TikTok and then implied that she cannot afford to shop sustainably or buy clothes in her size from a brand other than Shein.
“The problem isn’t you shopping fast fashion,” March says, addressing Afualo in her video that got over 25,000 views. “It’s you being a front face to you supporting women and speaking against men. And then promoting a company that completely exploits women in other countries.” (The Daily Dot reached out to @agojaa and March via Instagram direct message.)
TikToker and climate activist Karishma Porwal announced she was unfollowing Afualo because of the partnership.
“It’s the blatant lack of accountability in her comment section that really disappointed me,” Porwal says in a TikTok posted on Friday that received over 67,000 views. “Yes, you deserve to dress cute. And women of the global South deserve to eat. They deserve to save up for their children to send them to school. They deserve to work in a factory that won’t collapse on them.”
In a phone interview with the Daily Dot, Porwal said she referenced what she learned from watching The True Cost, a 2015 documentary about the labor practices involved in fast fashion production.
In the comments section of a follow-up video, Porwal apologized for “speaking for” plus-size women like Afualo and assuming her “financial situation.” However, Porwal doubled down on her take on the partnership.
“Any influencer being paid by Shein/Zara/H&M or any other fast fashion brand is accepting money made from slavery,” Porwal commented.
The same day that Porwal posted her initial TikTok, Afualo tweeted a response to the criticism. She said critics were “reducing [her] character down to nothing more than one deal [they] PERSONALLY don’t care for” is “trash.”
“Watching thin women try to call my feminism performative after seeing one brand deal they don’t like, truly is so rotten,” Afualo tweeted.
While @agojaa and March haven’t posted about whether or not they received backlash for their videos about Afualo, Porwal posted a TikTok saying that she was receiving messages telling her to kill herself for criticizing Afualo.
In her TikTok, she included a screenshot of a tweet that tells Afualo to “keep [her] foot on their necks,” “they” being people criticizing Afualo. At the time of publication, the tweet appeared in Afualo’s likes on Twitter.
In a phone interview with the Daily Dot, Porwal said that the tweet was “such a violent thing to say” and that Afualo “liking” it was “problematic.”
Porwal also told the Daily Dot that Afualo blocked her on TikTok.
“That, to me, is a telltale sign of like, you know that you’re wrong. And you don’t want to be held accountable for what happened,” Porwal told the Daily Dot. “You don’t want to have a conversation.”
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