Ivanka Trump to shut down clothing brand following consumer backlash
Ivanka Trump is reportedly shutting down her fashion brand and the staff has already been informed about the pending closure. The eldest daughter of the President of the United States had formerly separated herself from the company in 2017 to focus on issues involving her father's election as the President.
According to a source who spoke to Page Six, the brand "never recovered after she stepped away from the company". In a statement, Ivanka said that she decided to shut down the company as her future lay in the work that she does in Washington. "When we first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve. After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners.”
She ended on a positive note and said that she was grateful for the inspiring work which her team carried out and in spite of her discontinuing with the company. She believes that "each of them will thrive in their next chapter.”
The company's president, Abigail Klem, said, "I know that this was a very difficult decision for Ivanka and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have led such a talented and committed team. When faced with the most unique circumstances, the team displayed strength and optimism.”
However, the shutdown doesn't come as a surprise. The Trump family has been under criticism ever since Donald Trump was elected President. Shannon Coulter, a brand and digital strategist, started the #GrabYourWallet campaign against Donald Trump for his lewd comments about grabbing a woman which the President had passed off as 'locker room talk'.
The backlash soon turned to Ivanka. In one of her Twitter posts, Coulter had mentioned, "Ivanka is like Donald. She would, I believe, only shut down her company if she absolutely had to. I don't think she's doing this in order to focus on politics. I believe she's doing this to avoid the further embarrassment of big retailers dropping her." Coulter took to Twitter to rejoice the movement's victory over the brand and the family.
According to Business Insider, Ivanka's midpriced clothes and shoes were dropped out of stores such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Jet.com, DSW, Shoes.com, Belk, ShopStyle, and Gilt. Reportedly, the most recent retailer to say a no to Ivanka's products was the Canadian chain Hudon's Bay.
The strike against Ivanka's label didn't just stop there. In June 2018, rumors spread that Ivanka's clothing pieces were being sold labeled as Adrienne Vittadini Studio to chain Stein Mart which has over 290 stores in America. However, the fact-checking website Snopes shot down the rumors.
Ivanka Trump was also accused by PETA for wearing and working with real fur which was revealed by a PETA Asia expose which uncovered China's rabbit-fur industry, the world's largest fur exporter. Ivanka was accused of selling hats with pompoms made of fur from rabbits that were killed in China.
In a statement, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk wrote, "We were so disappointed (and surprised) to see that you are selling hats with pompoms on them made of real rabbit fur from China. We were especially shocked given that most of the fur you use in your collections is faux...Please, do the right thing without delay, and join the long list of beautiful brands—including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Inditex, Ann Inc., Ralph Lauren, H&M, and dozens more—that have all rejected fur.”
Ivanka Trump could not defend accusations of forgery as the brand was blamed for stealing designs. In December 2011, designer Derek Lam had sent out a cease-and-desist letter to Ivanka over one of the designs for her shoes which he claimed that she pulls off her shelves within a week. In March 2016, the Italian brand Aquazzura accused Ivanka of blatantly stealing designs through an Instagram post.