Well, this is strange. Popular fast-fashion retailer Shein found itself in hot water this week after eagle-eyed shoppers discovered what appeared to be Luigi Mangione’s likeness modeling clothing on their website. Yes, you read that right – the same Luigi Mangione who’s currently behind bars facing murder charges.
The bizarre discovery has prompted Shein to launch a full investigation into how the accused killer’s face ended up hawking their merchandise. Talk about a PR nightmare you didn’t see coming.
The product listing, which is no longer active, featured an image that appeared to show a man resembling Mangione modeling a short-sleeve shirt. Social media users were quick to spot the resemblance and share screenshots before the listing disappeared faster than clearance items during a flash sale.
So how exactly does something like this happen? According to Shein’s damage control team, they’re pointing fingers at outside vendors. “The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery,” the company told CNN, probably while frantically checking every other product listing on their site.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the budget retailer. Mangione, who’s accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan last December, has become one of the most recognizable faces in recent criminal cases. Using his likeness to sell clothes isn’t just tone-deaf – it’s downright bizarre.
“We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies,” a Shein spokesperson said, essentially promising to crack down harder on their army of third-party sellers.
This incident highlights a growing concern about AI-generated content in advertising. The use of Mangione’s image appears to be one of the more extreme examples of using AI to create advertising, as the practice becomes more common. Other major retailers like J.Crew have also faced criticism recently for their use of AI-generated models.
The question now is whether Shein’s investigation will uncover systematic issues with how they vet content from third-party vendors, or if this was just a one-off mistake that slipped through the cracks. Either way, they’ll need to do some serious reputation management to bounce back from this fashion faux pas.
