Xu Yangtian, Shein’s Fast-Fashion Mastermind

If you’re older than 30, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Shein, and you almost certainly don’t know how to pronounce it. (It’s “she-in.”) But for young shoppers around the world, the online-only clothing retailer has become an indispensable source of $14 sweaters and $12 dresses, in constantly refreshed styles. As the pandemic accelerated the decline of physical retail last year, Shein brought in $10 billion in revenue, according to people familiar with its operations—well ahead, for example, of Zara’s online sales. It’s also enlisted Katy Perry and Lil Nas X for promotions, and introduced a Project Runway-style online fashion competition, with judges including Khloé Kardashian and celebrity stylist Law Roach.

Shein’s emergence as China’s first global retail giant has been controversial. Critics have raised questions about labor practices at its suppliers’ factories, about rumors of ripped-off designs, and about the environmental impact of selling clothes so cheap they might be worn only once—concerns the company hasn’t squarely addressed. But Xu, a publicity-shy executive who started his career in search engine optimization, has proved he can win the loyalty of Western consumers regardless of these issues. Surely other Chinese brands will try to follow. —With Bruce Einhorn and Daniela Wei