The Hunger Games fans are furious about this SHEIN collaboration – and for good reason

The odds are definitely not in the favour of this tone-deaf collaboration... 

For anyone who has read Suzanne Collins’ dystopian novels or seen their hugely successful film adaptations, it won’t have escaped readers / viewers of The Hunger Games series that themes of societal collapse, distrust of authority, the ethics of entertainment and the ills of capitalism are hugely prevalent.  

Now, a new collaboration between the film adaptations’ distribution company Lionsgate and fast-fashion giant SHEIN has fans wondering - quite rightly - if these two companies bothered to clue themselves up. Or if they have a healthy grasp on the concept of irony.  

Indeed, Lionsgate and SHEIN recently announced their limited-edition collection meant to “fuse fashion, fandom, and pop culture” making it a “must-have for any The Hunger Games films fan enthusiast.” 

Phrases like “Capitol Chic” and “District Daring” are being used to highlight this new collection. “These extraordinary pieces let fans rebel against the ordinary,” states the press release. “Celebrating the themes of survival, resilience, and revolution, The Hunger Games x SHEIN collection brings fans a fresh way to showcase their love for the series.” 

"We are excited to collaborate with SHEIN to bring The Hunger Games fans a collection that lets them wear their fandom with pride," said Debbie Olshan, Director, Global Consumer Products at Lionsgate. "This collaboration blends fashion and film, enabling fans to express their connection to the story in a stylish and meaningful way." 

Meaningful?  

Let’s stick with that word when considering what feels like a mark-missing practical joke.  

"The Hunger Games" series portrays a dystopian society where wealthy Capitol citizens exploit poorer districts for resources and entertainment, highlighting unchecked capitalism throughout its (rather obvious) social commentary.  

The juxtaposition of SHEIN's disposable fashion model with these themes feels deeply hypocritical considering the fast-fashion company’s business model has come under fire on several occastions for exploitative practices, child labour exploitations and high environmental costs.

Environmental campaign group Greenpeace even accused SHIEN of breaching EU chemical laws in 2022.

As if that wasn't flirting with dystopian villainy enough, statistics show that most fast-fashion items are worn fewer than 10 times before being discarded – a practice which contributes to the fashion industry generating more than 101 million tons of textile waste per anum (as per Earth.org).

With this in mind, the collaboration has clearly missed what the heart of the source material is all about. And fans were quick to have their say.  

"It's like people at the top of every company are doing everything they can to minimize support and profits. It's so strange. They're so out of touch. They think Hunger Games fans would want a SHEIN collab of all things? Whoever thought this was smart at Lionsgate needs to be fired," stated one fan online.  

Check out some other reactions:  

Another summarized, rather beautifully: “Unethical, anti-environmental, fast-fashion probably produced by child-labor/underpaid workers? This is everything the series tries to warn us against,” complemented by this user on Reddit: “This is so tone deaf on an entirely different level. How can you write a book which explicitly focuses on starving, exploited children who have to perform for a wealthy few’s enjoyment, and then condone this type of merch? It’s like a sick performance art piece.” 

Cracking a book might not be the worst idea before starting a clueless, inept and self-owning collaboration. Just a thought.  

Then again, Suzanne Collins did warn us: “Stupid people are dangerous.”