Shein’s Latest Copycat Move Targets EhiWoman’s Owambe Dress

Shein faces backlash after allegedly replicating Nigerian label EHI Woman’s viral “Owambe Dress,” raising concerns about cultural theft, exploitation of small designers, and the need for fairer collaborations in global fashion.

Here we are again, having the same exhausting conversation about Shein. The fast-fashion giant is back in the spotlight, and once more it is for allegedly copying the work of a small independent brand.

This time, the victim is EHI Woman, the Nigerian label behind the breathtaking Owambe Dress that recently lit up the internet.

This was not just another viral outfit. The Owambe Dress is wearable art, a celebration of culture, identity, and painstaking craftsmanship. Which is why it stings even more to see it reduced to a lifeless, mass-produced replica on Shein’s site. No credit. No compensation. Just exploitation.

Sadly, this feels all too familiar. Shein has made headlines before for lifting designs from independent creatives, but it cuts especially deep when the pieces are rooted in rich cultural heritage. A designer pours their soul, their history, and their community into a garment, only for it to be stripped bare, sold for cheap, and stripped of meaning.

But it does not have to be this way. There is a better path forward: collaboration over imitation.

Imagine if Shein used its massive reach not to exploit but to elevate. Imagine partnerships with African designers like EHI Woman, where customers could buy authentic, original pieces with real stories behind them. Designers would earn recognition and fair pay, Shein would gain credibility, and the global fashion scene would be richer for it.

As Shein eyes Africa for expansion, the question is simple. Will it keep taking, or will it finally start giving back? For the sake of designers, their cultures, and the integrity of fashion itself, the answer should be obvious.