Sheng Lu

Professor, Fashion and Apparel Studies University of Delaware

  • Newark DE

Prof. Lu's research focuses on the economic and business aspects of the global textile and apparel industry.

Contact

University of Delaware

View more experts managed by University of Delaware

Spotlight

2 min

From spacesuits to style icons: University of Delaware fashion grads make their mark on the industry

One of the best measures of a college program is where their alums land after graduation and beyond. In addition to the impressive list of soon-to-be degree holders who have already landed excellent jobs, the University of Delaware's fashion and apparel studies program can boast a roster of alums who now have prominent positions with some of the industry's most iconic companies as well as major retailers. Faculty at UD can talk about the materials that make up the proverbial fabric of their hidden gem of a program on the campus in Newark, Delaware. A quick snapshot of what some of the alums are up to: Two students who have developed materials for space programs, including one who developed spacesuit textiles for future lunar missions. A fashion merchandising graduate degree holder who now is a point person for sustainability at Tapestry, the home of iconic brands like Coach and Kate Spade. High ranking executive at Target Brands. An alum with a resume that includes Ralph Lauren and now Steve Madden. Textile assistant with The Kasper Group, whose portfolio includes Nine West, Anne Klein, Kasper, Le Suit and Jones New York. Among this year's graduates is a star field hockey player from Argentina who landed a job at fashion retailer Moda Operandi; an award-winning student who will continue her pursuit of "changing the world" and making the fashion industry more sustainable as a graduate student at UD; and an entrepreneurship minor who paired her experience playing volleyball with design research that resulted in more comfortable apparel for athletes. To speak to one of these past or future graduates, contact mediarelations@udel.edu. Faculty from the program are also available for interviews: Huantian Cao, professor and department chair; Sheng Lu, professor and graduate director; and Brenda Shaffer, associate chair and undergraduate director.

Sheng Lu

1 min

Conscious Couture: Unraveling the Ethics Behind Fast Fashion's Costly Threads

Sheng Lu didn't have to do any research to see the impact of Shein, the China-based fast fashion behemoth. He simply looked around his classroom and saw his Gen Z students clicking through the app for low-priced, high-quality clothing that could get made and delivered with lightning speed. But through years of analysis of the fast fashion industry, Lu, associate professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware, is well aware of the catch: the company has been accused of wasteful use of textile and employing questionable labor practices. He can discuss the impact of Shein and other fast fashion retailers as well as questions surrounding their success and business practices. Lu has also been working with traditional retailers to promote sustainable practices. Under his guidance, a group of UD graduates collaborated with leaders at Macy’s in sustainability, sourcing, product development, raw materials and design. The students' research, conducted during their senior year, aimed to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the company's shift toward a more sustainable future. By focusing on expanding the use of recycled content in Macy’s private brands, the work reflects a shared commitment by both UD and Macy’s to drive positive change in the fashion industry.

Sheng Lu

Media

Biography

​Dr. Sheng Lu joined the department in 2015. Dr. Lu's research focuses on the economic and business aspects of the global textile and apparel industry, including international trade, apparel sourcing, fashion supply chain, and trade policy. Dr. Lu also studies social responsibility and sustainability issues related to apparel sourcing and trade and the implications of big data and digital technologies on the fashion industry, particularly from a supply chain perspective.

Dr. Lu received the 2014 Rising Star Award and the 2019 Mid-Career Excellence Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) to recognize his research and teaching excellence. He is also the multiple-time recipient of the Paper of Distinction Award at the ITAA annual conferences. He was also invited to serve as a consultant for the International Trade Centre (ITC), co-run by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN).

Dr. Lu has achieved over 80 publications in leading academic and trade journals in the textile and apparel discipline. His works were cited by government reports such as the Congressional Research Service (CRS) studies prepared for members of U.S. Congress, U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) official assessment on the economic impacts of free trade agreements as well as the World Bank, International Labor Organization, and the United Nations research publications. Dr. Lu and his work were also regularly featured by media outlet, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC World News (UK), Bloomberg, Nikkei Asian Review (Japan), Associated Press, the Economist (UK), South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), and Business of Fashion.

Industry Expertise

Apparel/Accessories
Import and Export
Textiles/Leather Goods

Areas of Expertise

Fashion apparel supply chain
Textile and Apparel Industries‎
International Trade
Sustainability Issues
Trade Policy
Fashion and Apparel
Fast Fashion

Media Appearances

The Tech Friend: Trump tariffs and your iPhone

The Washington Post  

2024-11-08

Businesses also have adapted to the higher tariffs on many Chinese imports in the past six years. Many companies moved some manufacturing to other countries to avoid higher tariffs on Chinese-made goods.

For example, research led by University of Delaware professor Sheng Lu recently found that more than four out of every 10 American apparel companies in a survey are now importing less than 10 percent of their products from China. In 2018, just 18 percent of U.S. clothing companies were importing such a small percentage from China.

View More

Shein denies alleged ‘widespread’ toxic chemicals in products

Yahoo Finance  online

2024-05-30

"Any issues regarding the quality of its products or negative news about its business operations may trigger unexpected ripple effects and create new uncertainties for its IPO prospects," University of Delaware professor of fashion and apparel studies Sheng Lu said.

View More

Shein Promised to Have a Big U.S. IPO. Its China Roots Got in the Way

Wall Street Journal  print

2024-05-28

“If Shein can’t make it, who else has a better chance?” said Sheng Lu, an expert on the globalLutextile and apparel industry at the University of Delaware. “Shein is not in a traditionallysensitive high-tech industry. It’s just a clothing retailer.”

View More

Show All +

Articles

Impact of textile raw material access on CAFTA-DR members’ apparel exports to the United States: a quantitative evaluation

The Journal of The Textile Institute

Sheng Lu

2023

This study quantitatively evaluated the impact of textile raw material access on Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) members’ apparel exports to the United States. Results from the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model show that improving CAFTA-DR garment producers’ textile raw material access would significantly enhance the price competitiveness of their apparel exports to the United States and increase the export volume. However, improving CAFTA-DR garment producers’ textile raw material access would primarily benefit Asian textile suppliers but result in CAFTA-DR members’ reduced dependence on the U.S. textile raw material supply. The study’s findings provided new insights into the textile and apparel trade patterns in the Western Hemisphere and offered valuable inputs contributing to the public policy debate on expanding U.S. apparel sourcing from CAFTA-DR members from a unique supply chain perspective.

View more

Explore U.S. retailers’ merchandising strategies for clothing made from recycled textile materials

International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education

Ally Botwinick, Sheng Lu

2022

This study explored U.S. retailers’ unique merchandising strategies for recycled clothing based on a logistic regression analysis of 16,000 Stock keeping Units of apparel items sold in the U.S. retail market from 2018 to 2021. The statistical analysis shows that U.S. retailers adopt distinct product assortment strategies for clothing made from recycled materials in terms of colours, design patterns, and product categories, compared with regular new clothing. Also, U.S. retailers were statistically more likely to price recycled clothing lower than the market average but more likely to target them for the luxury and premium market segments. The study's findings create timely new knowledge about the business aspects of clothing circularity and reveal the necessity of improving recycling technologies and changing consumers’ perceptions of recycled clothing's values.

View more

Explore U.S. Retailers’ Sourcing Strategies for Clothing Made from Recycled Textile Materials

Sustainability

Sheng Lu

2023

This study explored U.S. retailers’ sourcing patterns for clothing made from recycled textile materials. Based on a statistical analysis of over 3000 such clothing items for sale in the U.S. retail market from January 2019 to August 2022 at the Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) level, the study found that U.S. retailers adopted a diverse sourcing base for clothing made from recycled textile materials, covering developed and developing economies worldwide. Additionally, an exporting country’s economic development level and geographic location had statistically significant impacts on U.S. retailers’ sourcing patterns for clothing made from recycled textile materials regarding assortment diversity, product sophistication, market segments, and pricing. The study’s findings revealed the broad supply base for clothing made from recycled textile materials and suggested promising sourcing opportunities for such products. The findings also indicated that sourcing clothing made from recycled textile materials may help U.S. retailers achieve business benefits beyond the positive environmental impacts.

View more

Show All +

Accomplishments

Mid-Career Excellence Award, International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA)

n/a

Rising Star Award, International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA)

n/a

Paper of Distinction Awards, International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA)​

n/a

Show All +

Education

University of Missouri-Columbia

PhD