Shein Taps Political Heavyweights to Help Win Over Washington Critics

As Shein prepares to go public, it is looking for help in winning over its biggest critics in Washington. With that in mind, the China-founded fast fashion giant has tapped political heavyweights as advisers.

David Dreier, a former longtime Republican representative and key architect of the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been playing a prominent role in advising Shein executives and staff in recent months, a person familiar with the matter said. Earlier this year, Shein executives also approached former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to gauge his interest in advising the company, the person said, though it couldn’t be learned whether Ryan agreed to do so. Ryan’s office and Ryan’s nonprofit, the American Idea Foundation, didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.