The huge issue with Alice McCall’s new Shein range – after ‘devastated’ fans slammed the collaboration as ’embarrassing’

Alice McCall has once again come under scrutiny for its comeback collaboration with Shein – this time due to the lack of available sizes in the range.

The once high-end fashion designer said she decided to collaborate with the Chinese fast fashion brand to make its range more accessible.

But the decision to team up with Shein left fans feeling ’embarrassed’ and ‘devastated’, with many claiming the partnership went against everything the bankrupt company once stood for.

Others pointed out that the cheaper relaunch is still only available in a small size – from six to a ‘combined’ 12/14.

but founder Alice McCall told FEMAIL that this range will be expanded in the coming weeks.

“As this was our first-ever collaboration, we wanted to start with a limited range to gauge customer response to the collection,” she said.

‘Sales have been very strong so far, so we will be expanding the size range in the coming weeks.’

The label was founded in 2004 but struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic before filing for bankruptcy in February, owing $1 million to creditors.

The pieces were regularly seen on red carpets and in high fashion editorials for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle and the brand was loved for what many described as its ‘playful sensibility’.

A spokesperson for Shein also told FEMAIL that the brand is “committed to making the beauty of fashion accessible to everyone, and this includes inclusive sizing.”

“Our on-demand manufacturing model uses real-time insights into product performance and customer feedback to drive our production metrics,” the spokesperson said.

“We produce only 100 to 200 units of any product at launch, and then scale up our production to accurately meet customer demand.”

The collection launches on November 16 in Australia, New Zealand and the US with prices ranging from $15 for a bralette to $120 for a dress.

Following the announcement on November 13, fans flocked to Instagram and X to share their thoughts.

‘Alice McCall x Shein is so embarrassing. Why would you target your own brand like that?’ wrote one.

“A bankrupt designer decides to work with a sweatshop factory,” says another.

“Absolutely devastating to see what has become of Alice McCall,” a third added on X.

On Instagram, one commenter wrote: ‘The Alice McCall brand is making one of the most disappointing moves in a desperate attempt to make money. The icing on the cake is that you have to disable comments on the Instagram post an hour after posting.”

Another said they were ‘shocked and outraged’ by the decision.

Following the response, Ms McCall said: “Everyone has the right to express their views. I’m just really focused on launching this collection that I really believe in.”

“This collaboration will give a whole new audience, who may not have been able to afford an Alice McCall piece in the past, the opportunity to purchase a piece that is as good as anything I have created before.

‘One of my principles as a designer is to make clothes that last and I have adopted this philosophy in the pieces in this collection.

‘A highlight for me with this collection was that for the first time in my twenty years as a designer I was able to work with rescued fabrics and also used recycled polyester in this collection.’

“I have always resonated with the idea that my designs can become achievable for a wider audience, so when the opportunity to collaborate with SHEIN arose, I felt like I could turn this vision into reality,” added Ms. McCall .

‘A highlight for me was that I was able to work with rescued fabrics for the first time in my twenty years as a designer and also used recycled polyester in this collection.

“The styles feel fresh, elevated, easy to wear and distinctly Alice.”

One fan pushed back on the brand’s sustainability claims, saying polyester is not an environmentally friendly material.

“Since designers are well aware of Shein’s practices, polyester as a fabric is just plastic and not sustainable, environmentally friendly or ethical in anyway, this collaboration smacks of doing it just to make money,” the Instagram comment read.

A spokesperson for Shein said: “We are always identifying ways to give customers more of what they love.

‘Alice McCall’s flirty, feminine collection, combined with her use of favorite materials, such as rescued fabrics, will be a hit with many customers around the world.’

The collection features rescued textiles sourced from Shein’s collaboration with Queen of Raw, a global circular economy technology company.

Shoppers can expect pastel colors, floral prints, nods to 1970s Italian lingerie, art nouveau-inspired pieces and more in the feminine collection.

In November 2020, Alice McCall went into voluntary administration.

In a statement on Instagram, Ms McCall said: “After twenty years, the Alice McCall brand has come full circle. It’s time to close the doors and make room for a new chapter in my life.

“I want to thank you and recognize all the people who have worn, supported and loved the brand over the years.”

It was also reported that McCall owed more than $1 million to his creditors, while more than half of the money was owed to the Australian Taxation Office.