THE MUSCLE BEHIND SHEIN’S MODELThere is, however, one group with reason to celebrate: the vast network of suppliers in southern China that powers the retail juggernaut. Concentrated in the southern part of Guangzhou, thousands of small factories, making mostly clothing, are the muscle behind the ultra-fast-fashion model. A close-knit, tightly integrated supply chain located in a compact area allows Shein to identify trends, place tiny initial orders and get them ready for delivery within two weeks. That is especially true in women’s fashion, the category it still dominates, despite intense competition from PDD’s Temu.The irony is that this is the network that the fashion giant had once tried to play…