Ivanka Trump announces closure of namesake fashion brand

Ivanka Trump is shutting down her clothing company and laying off 18 employees after some stores dropped her line and she decided ethics restrictions were holding back its ability to grow.

The president’s daughter said in statement she made the decision to focus more on work as a White House adviser.

“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,” she said, “so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners.”

Ivanka Trump has recently been encouraging US companies to pledge to hire American workers. Her company has been criticized for using Chinese workers abroad to make its products.

Opinions about the brand have become highly polarized and it has faced boycotts from anti-Trump protesters. With sales flagging by some measures, Nordstrom dropped the Ivanka Trump line last year and recently Hudson Bay reportedly did the same.

Ivanka Trump’s brand has said the 2017 Chinese trademarks were filed defensively to protect against squatters using her name. China has said its trademarks policy regarding Ivanka Trump’s company is in line with normal legal practice.