Ivanka Trump shuts down clothing brand to focus on Washington
The Ivanka Trump brand is coming apart at the seams.
President Trump's daughter and senior adviser is shutting down her namesake fashion brand to focus on her Washington job, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The decision isn't unexpected, as Trump has had to restrict her role in the company to avoid conflict with her government role.
Ivanka Trump sales were soaring in the run-up to the presidential election, the Journal says. But after accepting a presidential job, Trump handed over company management to a new president and retained ownership. The brand soon became a symbol for her father's presidency, becoming the subject of boycotts whenever the president attracted massive criticism. That was especially true as the president slammed tariffs on Chinese goods but didn't touch Chinese-made Ivanka Trump products.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump fielded attacks herself as she urged businesses to "hire American" in a Journal op-ed, but didn't mention that her products are made overseas. The company doesn't reveal its finances, but online sales at major retailers plummeted by nearly 45 percent in 2017, the Journal says. Nordstrom slashed the brand in February 2017, and Canada's largest department store discontinued it in June after suggesting it wasn't performing well.
On Tuesday, the brand's president told its 18 employees about the impending shutdown. Trump released a statement saying she was unsure if or when she'd return to the business after her time in Washington, prompting her to shutter the brand to focus on D.C. "for the foreseeable future."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Baltimore bridge disaster: Who is going to pay and how?
Today's Big Question Politicians, legal experts, and the insurance industry are all grappling with the financial fallout of America's worst infrastructure tragedy in years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Immigration helped the US economy outpace peers
speed read The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.2% last quarter
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
4-day workweek gets boost from UK study
Speed Read Following a six-month trial, the majority of participating British companies are still using the truncated schedule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published