Mexico has questioned Chinese fast fashion manufacturer Shein’s usage of traditional aspects from the Mayan indigenous population in the design of one of its clothes, causing the store to withdraw the piece from its website.

Some aspects of Shein’s “Fan-Trim Top with Floral Print,” according to the Culture Ministry, were comparable to a traditional huipil embroidery done in 2017 by an artisanal apparel manufacturer from southeastern Mexico.

“These designs have been passed down from generation to generation, so they are the product of a collective creativity corresponding to the Mayan people,” the ministry said in a letter to the company.

Shein, a fast-growing online retailer that has pondered a New York listing, said on Thursday that the product had been removed off its website and that it had no intention of infringing on anyone’s intellectual property.

“We reaffirm our respect for artisans in Mexico and around the world,” a Shein spokesperson said via email.

Yucachulas, the Mexican brand responsible for the original work, said on social media that it was “very grieved” by the theft.

“It represents a lack of recognition for the work of artisans who dedicate themselves to this job and make their living from handicrafts”.

The Mexican government has previously demanded that large international corporations explain instances of what it considers commercial exploitation of distinguishing parts of Mexican culture in their products.

(Adapted from Latestly.com)