Kingpins to hold panel discussion on Trump's impact on the fashion industry

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Feb 8, 2017

Trade show Kingpins on February 9, 2017 will host “Kingpins Goes to D.C.”, an expert panel discussion on the potential effects of the current political climate on the fashion industry. The discussion will touch on the global apparel and textile industry’s relationship with government both domestically and abroad.

 
“What do Trump, uncertainty about NAFTA, the scrapping of TPP and a general shift away from globalization all mean for the global textile industry?” The trade show poses this question, as they are concerns for the global industry.
 
Panelists Julia K. Hughes, President of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), and Augustine Tantillo, President and Chief Executive of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), will discuss the effects of the current political climate on the American denim and apparel industry and the implications of a rapidly changing political and economic climate on the industry. Olah Inc. Managing Director Robert Antoshak will moderate the panel discussion.

Since being inaugurated as President of the United States, Trump discussed exiting global partnership agreements such as TPP and NAFTA in order to focus on job creation in the US. Reuters reported that jobs in the US have increased since Trump has taken office, but retail jobs are expected to fall due to store closures and job cuts.
 
Many fashion companies and designers have been vocal about their discontent for President Trump, including the CFDA that launched the “Fashion Stands with Planned Parenthood” initiative to raise support for the organization since it is facing funding cuts from Trump. Several designers have joined the CFDA’s initiative including Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Narciso Rodriguez, Carolina Herrera, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler, and Kate Spade among others.
 
Nike CEO Mark Parker issued a statement celebrating diversity, in light of Trump's travel ban on seven countries, and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank recently received backlash for issuing a statement in support of Donald Trump. In addition, retailers such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Shoes.com recently cut the Ivanka Trump line, with Nordstrom citing poor sales.
 
While many companies and designers shared their stances in regards to President Trump, the Kingpins panel discussion is one of the first apparel industry initiatives to discuss Trump’s effect on the fashion industry. Kingpins Goes to D.C. will be held in Washington D.C. and tickets are available on Just-Style. The panel discussion will be streamed live exclusively on the Just-Style website.