Xu Yangtian
Founder, chairman and chief executive of Shein
Xu Yangtian, also known as Sky Xu and formerly Chris Xu, is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Shein, the online fashion retailer. Starting from cross-border e-commerce in China, he built Shein into a global business known for a data-driven, small-batch production model, while remaining one of the most private leaders in the industry.
| Role | Founder, chairman and CEO |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Shein |
| Born | 1984, Zibo, Shandong |
| Also known as | Sky Xu, Chris Xu |
| Headquarters | Singapore |
| Listing | Hong Kong, September 2026 |
| Known for | Data-driven on-demand fashion |
Who is Xu Yangtian?
Xu Yangtian is the founder of Shein and serves as its chairman and chief executive. He is known internationally as Sky Xu and earlier used the English name Chris. Born in 1984 in Zibo, Shandong province, he is described by Reuters as remaining deeply involved in Shein's day-to-day operations despite the company's scale.
Career
Xu studied international trade at Qingdao University of Technology, graduating in 2007. He began working in search engine marketing at a foreign trade company, and after an unsuccessful start-up attempt moved into cross-border e-commerce, initially selling wedding dresses online to overseas customers.
The business that became Shein originated in Nanjing and traded first as Sheinside. Xu co-founded it with Maggie Gu, Molly Miao and Tony Ren. In 2014 the company moved to Guangzhou to build its own supplier network, and in 2015 it rebranded as Shein. The group later moved its headquarters to Singapore, while its suppliers and warehouses remain largely in China.
Influence on the fashion business
Shein's growth has reshaped expectations about speed and assortment in fashion retail. According to Caixin, the company sells in around 160 countries, had about 273 million active consumers, offers more than two million styles and introduced around 4,700 new apparel styles a day in early 2026.
- On-demand production: very small initial orders that are scaled up only for items that sell.
- Supplier ecosystem: a dense network of manufacturers around Guangzhou.
- Direct to consumer: an app and web model selling directly to customers worldwide.
Shein's model has also attracted regulatory and political scrutiny in several markets, including an investigation by the European Union. After earlier attempts to list in New York and London, Shein received regulatory approval in July 2026 and began trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on 1 September 2026, raising about 1.7 billion US dollars at a valuation of around 27 billion US dollars.
Xu Yangtian and technology
Data sits at the centre of the system Xu built. Caixin describes Shein's approach as a data-driven model that analyses demand, places initial orders of around 100 to 200 items per style and scales up the strongest performers. This test-and-repeat loop, combining online demand signals with flexible supplier production, is the main reason Shein is often discussed as a technology company as much as a fashion retailer.
Why it matters
Xu is one of the most consequential and least visible figures in modern fashion. He rarely gives interviews, and a speech in February 2026 at a provincial development conference in Guangdong was reported as a rare public appearance. The business he built has pushed competitors to rethink production lead times, assortment breadth and the use of data in buying decisions, and it remains central to debates about the environmental and social impact of ultra-fast fashion.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the founder of Shein?
Shein was founded by Xu Yangtian, known as Sky Xu, together with co-founders including Maggie Gu, Molly Miao and Tony Ren. Xu is the company's chairman and chief executive.
How does Shein's business model work?
Shein uses a data-driven, small-batch model: it produces initial orders of around 100 to 200 items per style, monitors demand and scales up the items that sell. This relies on a large supplier network concentrated around Guangzhou.