After more than a decade in the fashion industry, Ivanka Trump is leaving her namesake brand behind to focus on policy in Washington.
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the first daughter was shutting down her clothing and shoe collection due to her growing frustrations over ethics complaints and accusations of conflicts of interest that pervaded the collection.
Although Trump’s eldest daughter—and special assistant to the president—formally separated from the day to day operations of her fashion brand over a year ago, Ivanka still owned the company through a trust.
Here’s a timeline of some of the biggest headlines affecting the company in recent years:
June 16, 2015: Donald Trump announces he will run for president
I am officially running for President of the United States. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain https://t.co/Ct0lNu7kz0
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2015
Although not a brand specific headline, Trump’s declaration of his presidential plans nonetheless propelled his daughter’s brand into the limelight. Ivanka’s sales surged in late 2015 just months after Donald Trump announced his run for president. However, the expectation of sales continuing to rise would be premature.
Oct. 2, 2015: Ivanka’s flagship SoHo store closes
According to Racked, Ivanka’s flagship store in New York City’s Soho quietly shut its doors only a few years after opening in late 2011. The store at 109 Mercer St. was stripped clean, and no one could pin down when exactly the storefront was vacated. With no flagship store remaining, the brand was left with a Beijing location, a fine jewelry shop in Trump Tower, and a wholesale business.
Oct. 11, 2016: #GrabYourWallet campaign begins
As of today, you can find the official, always-up-to-date #GrabYourWallet list over at https://t.co/2TQSA4DmH5 👛 🚫 💥
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) November 27, 2016
Activists Shannon Coulter and Sue Atencio created the #GrabYourWallet campaign to urge shoppers to boycott business that sell Trump-branded merchandise. The project also called on those to contact businesses affiliated with Trump products to ask them to stop selling the goods. The campaign spearheaded many decisions by retailers such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus to cut ties with the brand throughout the following year.
Aug. 8, 2016: The contractor that designs Ivanka Trump apparel does not provide its employees paid family leave
The Washington Post reported that G-III Apparel Group—the company responsible for design and distribution of Ivanka Trump-branded clothing—did not offer its employees paid family leave. The apparel manufacturer reportedly allocated just 12 weeks of unpaid leave, the federally mandated minimum for companies with more than 50 employees. In July, at the Republican National Convention, Ivanka spoke at length about being a mother of three and how “American families need relief.” She said that policies “that allow women with children to thrive should not be novelties, they should be the norm.”
Nov. 8, 2016: Donald Trump is elected President of the United States
After the election, Ivanka’s company experienced a momentary spike in sales. According to the New York Times, overall sales were up 21% from 2015. Ivanka also took on the position of informal adviser as her father entered the White House.
Nov. 14, 2016: Ivanka wears a $10,800 bangle from her jewelry line on 60 Minutes
Ivanka Trump's jewelry company promotes a $10,000 bracelet the future first daughter wore on "60 Minutes" https://t.co/0EGXyQPsD3 pic.twitter.com/6pRefZ6D1c
— CNN (@CNN) November 16, 2016
Shortly after her father’s election, Ivanka appeared on “60 Minutes” with a $10,800 diamond bracelet on her wrist—from her namesake brand, of course. Several journalists reported receiving a “style alert,” promoting the bracelet as “her favorite bangle” available for purchase. Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, released a statement that said a “well-intentioned marketing employee” who was unfamiliar with protocol sent the email alert.
Jan. 9, 2017: Ivanka steps down from her brand
Ivanka stepped down from both her fashion label and her role as executive vice president of acquisitions and development at the Trump Organization. The leadership stepdown allowed Ivanka to publicly remove herself—at least publicly—from any conflicts of interest in advance of her father’s inauguration.
Feb. 12, 2017: Nordstrom and other retailers cut ties with the brand
My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017
Nordstrom officially announced its decision to remove Ivanka Trump products from its stores. While the retailer insisted the decision was financially motivated due to the underperformance of the brand, conservatives labeled it as a political move. Shortly after, Daddy Trump took to Twitter to scorn Nordstrom for its decision, as did Kellyanne Conway on Fox & Friends.
March 13, 2017: Ivanka’s jewelry line is discontinued
The Ivanka Trump company announced that her jewelry line—which was launched in 2007 as Trump’s first foray into the fashion world—would be discontinued. Ivanka reportedly decided to shift her focus on the brand’s lower-priced, mass-market accessories.
March 20, 2017: Ivanka remains in partial ownership of the company, despite trust
Despite her separation from the eponymous brand’s day-to-day operations, the New York Times reported that Ivanka still wielded tremendous power over the company. Rather than opting for blind trust—which keeps beneficiaries in the dark about their assets—Ivanka chose a trust agreement which would allow her to keep the family name associated with the brand, as well as implement controls and processes that facilitate compliance with ethical requirements.
March 28, 2017: The company applies for 17 trademarks from China
Just a day before Ivanka formally took on a role in the White House, online records from China’s trademark office revealed Ivanka Trump’s company applied for 17 trademarks—at the same time during which the Trump administration was heavily engaged in trade negotiations with China. Ivanka acted “in the normal course of business,” particularly in areas “where trademark infringement is rampant,” such as China, according to the brand’s president, Abigail Klem.
April 24, 2017: Ivanka Trump merchandise is mislabeled as Adrienne Vittadini
Ivanka Trump clothing sold at Stein Mart under another label. Manufacturer says items were mistakenly labeled. https://t.co/6lhre7eCTn
— WSJ Business News (@WSJbusiness) April 24, 2017
G-III, the brand’s manufacturing group, was in hot water yet again after mistakenly selling merchandise at Stein Mart under the label of a different designer, Adrienne Vittadini. It remains unclear whether the labeling mixup was a genuine distributive mistake or a sly way to secretly boost the sales of a failing brand.
Sept. 26, 2017: Records of Ivanka’s business dealings with China become harder to find
In just a few months since she took on a position in the White House, public information about the companies importing Ivanka Trump merchandise to the U.S. began to disappear. The information—which routinely appeared in private trade tracking data— became even harder to find, leaving the identities of companies involved in 90% of shipments unknown.
Dec. 15, 2017: The company opens a new store in Trump Tower
In an effort to engage directly with consumers, Ivanka Trump’s company opened a store in her father’s Trump Tower in Chicago. The debut of the boutique followed a decision by several retailers to remove the Trump brand from their shelves altogether.
July 24, 2018: Ivanka announces decision to shut down her fashion brand
And just like that, the Ivanka Trump fashion brand is no longer. “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,” Ivanka told the Wall Street Journal. “So making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners.”
