President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, has decided to close down her fashion brand which she launched in 2014.
She split from the company a year ago in order to enter the White House as a senior adviser. Reports has it that Ms Trump became frustrated by the difficulties posed by avoiding possible conflicts of interest while serving in the White House.
According to company’s spokesperson, her decision “has nothing to do with the performance of the brand and is based solely on Ivanka’s decision to remain in Washington indefinitely.”, but many believe the move was precipitated by the Brand’s poor performance in recent times.
17 months into her role in the White House, Ms Trump said she isn’t sure “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,” Ivanka Trump said in a statement.
“I am beyond grateful for the work of our incredible team who has inspired so many women; each other and myself included. While we will not continue our mission together, I know that each of them will thrive in their next chapter,” she added.
Ivanka started her fashion career in 2007 with the launch of her jewellery brand. She later developed seven categories ranging from footwear and handbags to eyewear and fragrance over the next six years.
When she moved to work with her father, she imposed restrictions on how the company could operate, including not expanding internationally and requiring the firm to obtain her approval before striking agreements with new domestic partners.
These restrictions limited the company’s ability to grow and meant winding down the business was the fairest option for the brand’s partners and its employees.
According to the firm, Ms Trump would not agree to selling the brand since a third party was unlikely to adhere to the restrictions she had put in place.
Current licensing agreements with partners will continue until the end of their period, meaning the company’s products would continue for now to be sold at US stores such as Bloomingdales, Zappos and Amazon, the firm said.
But major critics believe this is as a result of consumer backlash and major retailers’ decision to drop the brand. Retailers like Nordstrom, and Hudson Bay have all ditched the brand recently, based off Trump’s political rhetoric.