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The first daughter and presidential adviser is closing her eponymous brand, a company spokesperson confirmed to Bustle on Tuesday. The brand has faced heavy criticism since the founder took a job at the White House, and reactions to Ivanka Trump's clothing brand shuttering did not gloss over critics' ethical concerns. Ivanka explained that she was closing the company to focus on her position on Capitol Hill, however.
"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," Ivanka said in a statement provided to Bustle.
The company's president, Abigail Klem, informed her 18 employees that the brand would be shutting down on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported. The people who produced Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories were all overseas, as a main criticism of the brand centered around the fact that its products weren't made in America. Although the company saw a spike in sales during the 2016 election, sales began to dip in 2017 and were down negative one percent in August 2017 compared to the previous August, according to Racked.
"No Americans Were Laid Off"
Although 19 employees based in the United States were let go on Tuesday, the majority of people working for the brand were located in countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.
"A Moment Of Silence"
Actor and comedian John Fugelsang similarly noted that more jobs were lost overseas than in the United States.
"Foreign Workers Will No Longer Have A Job"
Multiple media outlets also reported that the working conditions in the factories producing the brand's products fell below industry standards. Employees at factories in China and Indonesia claimed they were underpaid, and subjected to verbal abuse and "violations of women’s rights," according to The Guardian.
10 Retailers Had Dropped The Brand
Hudson's Bay, one of Canada's largest retailer, dropped her brand earlier this month, following nine other companies that did the same beginning in 2016.
Sales Slowed, But Profits Continued
Ivanka may not have been running the company from Washington, but she was still profiting off of it. Overall, she made roughly $10 million from her personal brand and other family businesses in 2017, The Hill reports.
"Spin It However You Want"
Despite Ivanka's reasoning that she was closing the brand to focus on her duties in Washington, not everyone was buying it.
Following In Her Father's Footsteps
President Trump's business has filed for bankruptcy six times. Though the Ivanka Trump brand wasn't known to be bankrupt, it's declining sales were documented.
#GrabYourWallet Takes A Victory
The #GrabYourWallet campaign encouraged retailers to drop the Ivanka Trump brand — and many did. Its founder, Shannon Coulter, celebrated the brand's shuttering.
"I’m Going To Miss That Feeling"
People also joked that they would miss discarding her clothing while shopping.
"Orange Is The New Black"
Others alluded to the fact that Ivanka does have a lot on her plate in Washington, including the federal investigation into the relationship between her father's presidential campaign and Russia.
#NeverForget
Unsurprisingly, the brand's critics weren't sad to see it close. And Twitter never passes up an opportunity to throw shade.
