AsianFin -- The meteoric rise of ultra-fast fashion giant Shein has transformed a cluster of urban villages on the outskirts of Guangzhou into what locals now call “Shein villages.”

Shein built its $30 billion-a-year empire on a mix of rock-bottom prices and favorable trade rules, including the U.S. "de minimis" exemption, which allows low-value imports to bypass tariffs.

Yet, at the core of Shein’s success lies the hyper-responsive supply chain driven by hundreds of bustling workshops in these villages—where factories turn out trendy items like leopard print palazzo pants or peasant blouses in real time, synced directly with online orders.