Festival Bound

Shein is going to Stagecoach.

The Chinese fast-fashion platform has become the first official fashion partner of the Southern California country music festival. To celebrate,

Shein has launched the Shein x Stagecoach collection — complete with Western-style cowboy boots, floral dresses, denim shorts, fringe tops and more — all ideal for this weekend’s festival, set to take place Friday through Sunday at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.

“Shein is honored to be the first official fashion partner of the Stagecoach Festival,” said Maxine Silva, senior director of U.S. brand PR at Shein. “We are looking forward to bringing a Shein experience to the biggest country musical festival in the nation. And for those who want to celebrate their Western wonder outside of the festival, our Shein x Stagecoach gear is available for fans across the U.S.”

The e-tailer — which ships to more than 150 stores around the world, but does not have any of its own stores — will set up the Shein Saloon at the festival for attendees to shop select looks IRL while sipping on desert-themed cocktails. Fashion and beauty activations include the Sheglam Beauty & Freckle Bar, Cowboy Karaoke, Shein’s Bedazzled

Bull ride and a customizable rhinestone cowboy hat station.

Shein was founded in 2012.

The private, China-based company quickly grew a following among the Gen Z cohort for its affordably priced selection of apparel, accessories and footwear. In addition, Shein’s mobile-first strategy and focus on numerous product drops of short runs have served it well during the pandemic.

Last May, Shein became the most downloaded shopping app in the U.S. — surpassing Amazon — according to apptracking firms App Annie and Sensor Tower. The following month, reports from data firm Earnest Research revealed that Shein’s market share in the U.S. fast-fashion category grew from 13 percent to 28 percent in the first half of the year, making it the number-one fast-fashion retailer and eclipsing the likes of H&M and Zara in the process.

Rumors began swirling earlier this month that the company recently raised between $1 billion and $2 billion, bringing the firm’s valuation close to $100 billion.

“Shein does not comment on market speculation,” the company said in a statement.

— KELLIE ELL