the essential
Former Interior Minister Christophe Castaner was recruited as an advisor to a regional strategic committee belonging to the Chinese giant Shein several years ago. This career choice was widely criticized by French ready-to-wear players. The person concerned explains this today.
“There is a moralizing effect in all this which exasperates me.” At the end of his nerves, the former Minister of the Interior. Since the announcement of his recruitment within a regional strategic committee belonging to the fast-fashion giant Shein, the one who has remained close to Emmanuel Macron has suffered numerous criticisms, moreover from the loan sector -à-porter French, which had pointed out a “shameful partnership”.
Also read:
Former minister Christophe Castaner will now advise Shein, controversial Chinese fast-fashion giant
In the columns of The Sunday Tribune This January 12, the person concerned is now stepping up to denounce a bill tabled last March by Anne-Cécile Violland, an MP from the Horizons party. The objective of the text? Tax fast fashion products, thus making them less attractive. Taxing products from Shein factories would, in the words of Christophe Castaner, be a mistake, affirming that the Chinese giant “democratizes fashion for all”. “Shein is a young company which has experienced rapid growth” and which, according to the former minister, “is reaching a maturity which allows it to adopt an approach of continuous improvement in each of its markets. It has understood that it was up to him, as an important actor, to take virtuous initiatives,” continues the fifty-year-old.
“It’s contempt”
The opportunity for the former general delegate of La République en Marche to set the record straight regarding the criticisms addressed to him regarding his reconversion. Christophe Castaner advocates a logical continuation of his consulting missions, affirming that Shein is one of the dozen companies that he supports in their development strategy.
“Some people think that I am stupid enough to only have the ability to have an address book,” denigrates the former politician. “It is a contempt that, because we come from politics and if we go into the private sector, we wouldn’t be able to do anything else.” Shein’s new advisor refutes any idea of lobbying for the Chinese firm. With Christophe Castaner, Shein is not its first attempt at recruitment: Nicole Guedj, former Secretary of State and Bernard Spitz, former president of the French Federation of Insurance Companies were also recruited within of the group’s social and environmental responsibility (CSR) committee.
