• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026

1

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
NewslettersMPW Daily

The founder of a high-end fashion label worn by Melania Trump says tariffs cost her $600,000 a week and she ‘won’t make it ’til Christmas’

By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
and
Nina Ajemian
Nina Ajemian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
and
Nina Ajemian
Nina Ajemian
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 6, 2025, 9:09 AM ET
Lafayette 148 cofounder and CEO Deirdre Quinn at a store opening in 2019. She says the brand is now at risk of folding because of China tariffs.
Lafayette 148 cofounder and CEO Deirdre Quinn at a store opening in 2019. She says the brand is now at risk of folding because of China tariffs. George Chinsee/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images

Good morning! Diddy’s sex-trafficking trial has begun, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles faces conflict of interest concerns, and tariffs continue to roil the fashion world.

– Style at risk. The clothing brand Lafayette 148 is 29 years old, worn by Melania Trump, and makes 95% of its inventory at a compound it built in China. Cofounder and CEO Deirdre Quinn says U.S. tariffs on China are costing her $600,000 a week and she “won’t make it ’til Christmas” if President Donald Trump’s China trade war continues.

Recommended Video

Quinn is one of several small business owners sounding the alarm about the impact of tariffs on their companies. (Even as fashion marches on—as seen at last night’s Met Gala.) A group of female founders convened by the cofounders of the wine brand Juliet sent a letter to the Trump administration last month calling for support for small-business owners to transition to domestic supply chains; one of the group’s examples was Juliet itself, which is mostly made in the U.S. with one packaging component that comes from China—and has no viable domestic alternative.

For Lafayette 148, that transition would be even more complicated. About 15 years ago, the label invested in a 240,000 square-foot compound in Shantou, China, that can manufacture leather goods, knitwear, blouses, and more. Quinn says the factory allowed her to keep working after she almost quit out of exhaustion criss-crossing the globe looking for separate factories for each of her products. Becoming a vertically-integrated business was an advantage—until it wasn’t.

Her brand, whose new arrivals range from a $148 t-shirt to a $2,798 midi skirt, is now at risk of folding due to 145% tariffs on China. (First Lady Melania Trump has worn a navy dress from the brand, while former First Lady Jill Biden chose a yellow dress-and-jacket combo for a visit to France.) Lafayette 148 typically imports 10,000 garments a week; now, Quinn says she can only afford to import what she has already sold, so far 1,000 to 2,000 garments weekly. Her 11 U.S. stores are lacking inventory as a result. “The tariffs are bigger than half my company’s entire overhead,” she says.

My colleague Lila MacLellan, meanwhile, spoke with Pauline Lock, who manages the New York-based manufacturer InStyle USA. Lock says that the domestic factory she runs is not seeing more business because of tariffs—quite the opposite. The general uncertainty is leading retailers to cancel orders amid low consumer confidence and designers to pause plans for future projects, concerned about what costs will be. Lock has had to cut her staff in half. “We have to make sure that we have a solid foundation before we cut off the rest of the world,” she told Lila.

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com

The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today’s edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- On trial. Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial began yesterday with jury selection. The trial is expected to last for at least eight weeks, and if Combs is convicted on any of the five counts he faces, he could be imprisoned for life. Combs has denied the allegations against him. Variety

- Client conflict. A consumer advocacy group is worried that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ meetings with her former lobbying clients could pose a conflict of interest. The White House has denied Wiles’ involvement in all decisions with former clients, except for one call with General Motors. Washington Post

- Up to bat. The Women’s Pro Baseball League is partnering with production company Fremantle. With the new media deal, “We’re documenting the rebirth of a sport, and the pioneers who are making it happen,” said newly appointed league chair and sports investor Assia Grazioli-Venier. The Athletic

- Out of work. The unemployment rate for Black women 20 and older has continued to increase since last February when it was at 4.4%—now it’s up to 6.1%. While the reasons behind this rise are still unclear, the percentage of employed Black women has dropped the past two months, as has workforce participation. Bloomberg

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Nike’s longtime president of consumer, product, and brand Heidi O’Neill is out at the sportswear maker. Her role will be split up into three jobs; VP and GM of global women’s Amy Montagne will become president of Nike brand and Nicole Graham will lead marketing.

Mastercard appointed Kelly Devine as regional president, Europe. Most recently, she was customer director at Dunelm. She previously served as president of Mastercard’s U.K. and Ireland business.

Nasdaq Private Market appointed Samantha Tortora as chief growth and chief marketing officer, Amanda Gold as chief of staff and chief people officer, and Parul Dubey as head of SecondMarket. Previously, Tortora was global head of Aladdin Sustainability, managing director at BlackRock; Gold was Nasdaq Private Market’s CMO; and Dubey was managing director, head of private client group at Nasdaq Private Market.

AffiniPay, which develops practice management software, named Leslie Witt chief product officer. Witt was previously chief product and design officer and consumer channel leader at Headspace.

Cybersecurity AI company Darktrace appointed Amanda Phillips as SVP of customer success. Most recently, she was senior director of the Americas customer success team at CyberArk.

WellTheory, an autoimmune care provider, named Dr. Erin Hammett medical director. She previously practiced at Sutter Health.

ON MY RADAR

What the ‘2% of VC funding’ stat gets wrong about women entrepreneurs Fast Company

How should a woman sound? New York Times

What if menopause were optional? Vox

PARTING WORDS

“Your spirit may be heard around the world tonight. Two and a half million people.”

—Lady Gaga on her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Brazil, which broke the record for the highest-attended concert by a female artist

This is the web version of MPW Daily, a daily newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.
About the Authors
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Nina AjemianNewsletter Curation Fellow

Nina Ajemian is the newsletter curation fellow at Fortune and works on the Term Sheet and MPW Daily newsletters.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

SpaceX just made IPO history. Gwynne Shotwell made it possible
NewslettersMPW Daily
SpaceX just made IPO history. Gwynne Shotwell made it possible
By Emma HinchliffeJune 12, 2026
14 hours ago
Mo Jomaa of CapitalG, Nizar Tarhuni of PitchBook, and Hans Tung of Notable Capital at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersFortune Tech
The SpaceX IPO is not the market savior it seems
By Andrew NuscaJune 12, 2026
20 hours ago
How Elon Musk sold a $1.77 trillion dream—and what other CEOs can learn from the SpaceX IPO
NewslettersCEO Daily
How Elon Musk sold a $1.77 trillion dream—and what other CEOs can learn from the SpaceX IPO
By Diane BradyJune 12, 2026
21 hours ago
Why is it so hard to get ROI from AI? Because building from first principles isn’t easy
NewslettersEye on AI
Why is it so hard to get ROI from AI? Because building from first principles isn’t easy
By Jeremy KahnJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Bridgit Mendler, co-founder and CEO of Northwood, at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersMPW Daily
How Hollywood trained Bridgit Mendler for life as a space founder
By Emma HinchliffeJune 11, 2026
2 days ago
Chevron’s CFO on why finance chiefs are defining AI’s business value
NewslettersCFO Daily
Chevron’s CFO on why finance chiefs are defining AI’s business value
By Sheryl EstradaJune 11, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
20 hours ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
18 hours ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.