We’re using our disruptive mindset to drive positive change in fashion and beyond by rapidly testing and scaling sustainable innovations.
Center of Innovation for Garment Manufacturing (CIGM)
The Center of Innovation for Garment Manufacturing (CIGM), established in 2022, conducts R&D in waste-saving and efficiency-optimizing technologies that can be scaled across SHEIN’s supply chain. It conducts knowledge-sharing and training for our supplier partners on the latest technologies and techniques, including on product quality, organizational management and workplace experience, to optimize efficiencies. It also offers consultancy services on factory site selection, facility design and layout.
In 2023, SHEIN successfully filed 10 patents for new technology/tools focusing on complex craftsmanship methods and special fabrics, each achieving garment-production efficiency gains of over 40%. The CIGM has also developed over 100 sewing and garment-making tools for our suppliers. In 2023, the CIGM carried out over 380 training sessions for over 5,000 suppliers across our supply chain. The CIGM also collaborates with universities and academic institutions to launch joint training programs, including practical training and seminars on sewing techniques and other aspects of garment manufacturing, and to offer scholarships to help develop a pipeline of young talent for local garment-manufacturing industries.
Leveraging Technology to Rescue Excess Inventory
In 2022, we established a new partnership with Queen of Raw (QoR), a climate technology company addressing the fashion industry’s waste issues with circular economy solutions. Queen of Raw’s science-based software, Materia MX, grew out of the pandemic supply chain disruptions and need for companies to better manage excess inventory. As part of our shift towards using more sustainable materials, SHEIN began sourcing deadstock fabrics with Materia MX and Queen of Raw’s operations in Asia. Through the software’s project management tools with automated workflow, we successfully launched our first deadstock products that met SHEIN’s requirements and Materia MX’s deadstock standard.
“Our technology empowers SHEIN to incorporate local deadstock textiles from other brands into its on demand designs and integrate into SHEIN’s system to optimize future inventory purchases. As a result, climate and water impacts are reduced while enhancing transparency.”
Stephanie Benedetto, Queen of Raw
reducing water usage in fabric printing process
In 2021, SHEIN partnered with NTX® and adopted NTX®’s Cooltrans® printing technology to develop an alternative denim production process: Cool Transfer Denim.
Cool Transfer Denim combines printing equipment and technical solutions developed by NTX® with SHEIN’s agile supply chain management technology to produce custom denim designs in small batches with a fraction of the water-footprint associated with conventional denim. This allows SHEIN’s suppliers to produce denim products using 70.5% less water compared to traditional denim production methods.* As of December 2023, SHEIN has saved close to 9,000 tons of water since the launch of Cool Transfer Denim.
By using an innovative high fixation ink during the Cool Transfer Denim production process, SHEIN’s suppliers are able to transfer desired designs onto denim products instantaneously, without the use of traditional denim production methods such as indigo vat-dyeing of fabric, PP spraying, bleaching, sand blasting, stone washing or enzyme washing. In addition, suppliers can also transfer colours and style accents onto denim products, all with better fabric adhesion and reduced ink fall off during garment sewing and washing compared to traditional denim production methods.
Since its development, SHEIN has integrated the Cool Transfer Denim production process into our agile supply chain, which allows denim clothing to be produced on demand. Suppliers are able to produce a variety of denim products in different colours and designs to suit the preferences of every shopper, all at affordable prices.
*As verified by Bureau Veritas in October 2023