I remain awestruck by the response to Shein’s acquisition of Everlane. Nearly a week after I broke the news that the distressed, virtue-signaling fashion brand was selling to the climate-agnostic, ultra-mass Chinese conglomerate, the deal had become such a massive conversation topic online that The New York Times sent a breaking email alert. Naturally, I texted Everlane co-founder Michael Preysman, who sold the company to private equity firm L Catterton in 2020. Preysman had stepped away from daily operations years ago, and fully cut ties with Everlane within the last year. I wasn’t sure if he’d be upset, embarrassed, or indifferent about what had transpired. But I asked him if he wanted to talk.