Who is the young designer who works for both Chanel and Shein?

Fashion loves paradoxes, but this one is particularly surprising. Oxana Goralczyk, a freelance stylist collaborating with Chanel since September 2022, also works for Shein through its "Designer Incubator" program. This revelation, highlighted by Glitz journalists, raises questions about the permeability between luxury and fast fashion, two seemingly opposing worlds. Oxana Goralczyk is no stranger to the fashion industry. As a freelance designer working with the Rue Cambon house, she contributes to the creation of pieces for one of the world's most prestigious brands. At the same time, she benefits from Shein's "Designer Incubator" program, launched in 2021 to support emerging designers by providing them with a large-scale production and sales platform. On one side, Chanel embodies exclusivity, haute couture, and artisanal excellence. On the other, Shein is often criticized for its ultra-fast model, low prices, and controversial production practices. Yet, the same stylist navigates between these two spheres, illustrating a growing reality in an industry where boundaries are increasingly blurred.

For Shein, having a designer who also works for Chanel is a golden opportunity. It allows the Chinese company to strengthen its image and respond to the accusations of plagiarism that have followed it for years. By highlighting collaborations with independent designers, Shein seeks to prove that it does not simply copy trends but actively participates in fashion creation. This dual role of the stylist thus becomes a key argument in Shein’s communication, aiming to show that it supports creativity and designers. The brand promotes creators who can showcase their own designs on its platform, benefiting from global exposure without the usual logistical constraints of production. On its website, the Chinese giant states that participants retain ownership rights to their creations and share the profits generated by sales with the company. They earn 10% royalties per product sold by Shein. If hired full-time, they receive an average salary of $69,000 (around €65,000) per year, according to Glitz. In comparison, Chanel pays its designers around €44,000 per year.

Luxury is largely based on exclusivity and craftsmanship, values that seem hardly compatible with the fast fashion model. The presence of a stylist navigating between these two worlds could therefore be seen as an anomaly by Chanel, which prefers not to comment on the subject. This situation reflects a broader trend in the fashion industry. More and more designers juggle multiple collaborations, working for both luxury houses and mass-market brands. This mirrors an economic reality where freelancing is becoming the norm, and even the biggest houses rely on external talent. While this flexibility allows designers to explore different facets of their creativity, it also raises questions about brand identity and the dilution of their DNA. Chanel and Shein now share, through a single stylist, an unexpected connection. A situation that, a few years ago, would have seemed inconceivable but perfectly illustrates the current evolution of the industry.