Last April, in Los Angeles, Cider – a digital-native brand focused on the DTC (Direct-to-
Consumer) segment – opened its first physical store. It describes itself as an example of
‘smart fashion’, but for many it represents nothing more than the latest incarnation of aggressive fast fashion. Let’s try to understand why
by Massimiliano Viti
Upon entering Cider’s physical shop in Los Angeles (its first and, for now, only one in the
world, opened in April 2026), the first thing that catches the eye is how the products are
presented. Clothing and accessories aren’t divided by category, but by mood, to attract
customers based on how they’re feeling that day. Elegant or playful? ‘Feeling Free’ or
‘Feeling Cute’? Let’s start here to understand what we mean when we talk about Cider. A
brand-new label that likes to describe itself as ‘smart fashion’, whilst for many it represents the ultimate extreme of the most aggressive form of fast fashion.
Los Angeles, mon amour
Cider’s first physical shop – a brand that’s a hit with Gen Z consumers – mirrors its online
store. It’s no coincidence, then, that it opened in Los Angeles, given that this is the city
where the brand was founded in 2020, based on an idea by Chief Marketing Officer Yu
Oppel, CEO Michael Wang and Fashion Manager Fenco Lin. This trio saw an opportunity
to create an online shop capable of responding to trends just as quickly as they emerged
on TikTok. The result: today, Cider’s annual turnover is a nine-figure sum, although the
company prefers not to disclose the exact figure. The brand has 6 million followers on
Instagram and is valued at over $1 billion.
Direct-to-Consumer
Cider’s success reflects the growing interest in accessible and – shall we say – price-
conscious brands. It also represents the latest example of a digital-native brand that has
realised that, to stand out and grow, it needs to open physical shops, thereby integrating
the tactile element: touching the fabrics, trying on clothes and feeling the textures. “DTC
(Direct-to-Consumer) fashion brands need to evolve towards a more integrated model,”
Lin explains to Business of Fashion. “Digital is still essential for large-scale efficiency, but as all brands are using the same influencer marketing strategies, it’s a channel where it’s difficult to stand out.
Volumes and price
Among Cider’s success factors are volume and price. Every month, the brand launches
between 600 and 800 new products. Tto put this into perspective, according to estimates,Shein launches thousands of new products every day. The price of the products is relatively low thanks to manufacturing in China. It remains, however, higher than, for
example, Shein, which spares the Californian brand from attracting the same kind of
criticism and controversy as the Chinese giant and other major Chinese players in the
super-fast fashion sector. In any case, though, the supply chain remains crucial, as Lin
admits: “Going viral requires luck, but having the right product to support it requires a very agile supply chain.”
Smart or fast?
The ‘clean image’ that Cider projects has led several industry insiders to try to understand
whether the online platform is actually as virtuous as its social media profiles suggest:
always impeccable, without a blemish. It has emerged that Cider’s ‘smart fashion’
conceals some underlying ambiguities. However, the brand has often been targeted by
accusations of plagiarism. Against independent designers, cultural appropriation, and
using dropshipping (an online sales model in which the seller offers products they do not
physically hold in stock) to source its products.
The supply chain
TheTab reports that, according to some users who have posted comments on social media, Cider’s supply chain is ‘truly’ agile, as Lin claims, but this is because it sources its stock, at least in part, from AliExpress. Eco-Stylist is even harsher in its criticism of the platform, which ‘continues to promote overproduction and overconsumption’. It has no programme for the recovery of its products. And it engages in greenwashing by claiming that the garments in its ‘green’ collection are made from certified recycled materials, when in reality they are mixed with other fabrics such as polyester’. Then there is a series of accusations regarding the lack of transparency in the supply chain. Rather than ‘smart fashion’, perhaps we should be talking about ‘smart fast fashion’.
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