Ֆրեդերիկ Մերլին, այն մարդը, ով Շեյնին ոտք է դրել Փարիզի կենտրոնում

Flashing a brilliant smile, Frédéric Merlin hung his own portrait – larger than life – on the façade of BHV Marais, the Parisian flagship of his group. He posed next to Donald Tang, the executive chairman of Shein, the ultra-fast fashion platform that set up shop in this retail temple on Wednesday, November 5.

Read more Subscribers only Shein's Paris opening causes chaos at department store

"The poster we should never have made!" proclaimed the oversized banner with a mocking tone. It was a defiant response to the controversy that has grown since the owner of the BHV and president of the Société des Grands Magasins (SGM) announced, on October 1, that he would roll out the red carpet for Shein, the ultimate nemesis of French fashion retailers.

The ambitious young man, who turned 34 on July 31 in Ramatuelle surrounded by a jet-set crowd ranging from actress Joan Collins to TV host Cyril Hanouna, did not expect such a backlash. This has revealed a certain naïveté – or indifference. After all, just days before the announcement of his "radioactive" partnership, the fashion world had condemned Pimkie, a French retailer, for offering its products on Shein's marketplace.

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