THE SOCIAL media influencer has gained fame across multiple platforms.
Now, people want to know more about Dani Carbonari and her controversy involving the popular fast-fashion brand, Shein.
Who is Dani Carbonari?
Carbonari — also known as Dani DMC — is a social media influencer and plus-size model with a large following across various platforms.
She has 501K subscribers to her YouTube channel, @DaniDMCC, and 477K followers on her Instagram page, @danidmc.
She also has 309K followers on her TikTok page, @itsdanidmc, and over 8.7K followers on her Twitter account, @itsdanidmc.
Carbonari considers herself a “confidence activist” and frequently encourages her followers to love themselves and their bodies.
She wrote on her website, in part: “I have fought an uphill battle to arrive at my current destination that allows me to lead my life with unapologetic confidence.
“I turned my ‘differences’ into my superpowers. I have gathered the tools to be my most confident self and I believe I have something real and authentic that’s hard to come by in this world.
“I believe true pure confidence is not something to selfishly hold onto but instead something that needs to be unleashed and spread around the world. It has become my unequivocal duty to begin that process. And right now it starts with you…”
The model has an account with the shopping app LTK, as well as an Amazon page.
Carbonari grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and is now based in Los Angeles, California.
Why did Dani Carbonari apologize?
Carbonari apologized after facing criticism following comments she made while on a brand trip to tour Shein’s factories in China.
Shein has faced backlash for its alleged unethical practices.
According to The New York Times, the clothing company has denied accusations of “sourcing cotton from China’s Xinjiang region, where forced labor and human rights abuses are widespread.”
The publication reported that in a since-deleted video, Carbonari shared clips of the fashion brand’s “Innovation Center,” which the outlet described as “a clean and well-lit facility.”
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It states: “Dani DMC said that she ‘was able to interview a woman who worked in the fabric-cutting department,’ and that the employee, whom we never hear from directly, answered, ‘honestly and authentically.’
“Dani DMC, who describes herself in the clip as an investigative journalist, added that the worker ‘was very surprised at all the rumors that have been spread in the U.S.,’ adding, ‘She told me about her family, her lifestyle, her commute, her hours.'”
As per The New York Times, after receiving backlash for defending Shein, Carbonari at first shared a since-deleted video in which she stood by her remarks.
However, on June 28, 2023, the content creator posted an apology video on Instagram in which she revealed that she “terminated” her “relationship with Shein upon returning from the trip.”
She continued: “I will no longer be aligned with them or work with them in any capacity now or ever in the future.
“I made a mistake, I made a huge mistake. I always try to lead with me, my younger self, and my community in mind, and I let us down. I did us wrong. I lead us to the wrong path, and I’m very aware of that now.
“I am ready to take accountability, and look at myself, and look at my role in my industry. And, I’m gonna take a couple weeks off, I’m gonna reevaluate, rebalance.
“And I’m going to come back, and I’m gonna be better, and I’m gonna be stronger. And I’m gonna continue the fight for us in a new way and continue to be an even better pioneer for the plus-size community.
“So, thank you, and I’ll see you then.”
Where is the Shein factory based?
Shein’s factories are located in China.
The company — which was originally named ZZKKO — was founded in Nanjing, China, in October 2008 by entrepreneur Chris Xu.
It is now based in Singapore but still produces products in China, as per The New York Times.
According to NPR, the influencer trip took place at “manufacturing facilities” in Guangzhou, China.