As the trade war between China and the U.S. continues to simmer, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s recent fashion choice has caused an online controversy. Susan Scafidi, founder and director of Fordham Law’s Fashion Law Institute, spoke with Women’s Wear Daily about the U.S.-China trade war and what it means for fashion.
Susan Scafidi, founder of the Fashion Law Institute at the Fordham University School of Law, said, “After days of Chinese TikTok posts claiming that luxury fashion is actually made in China — exaggerated tales with a few grains of truth — it’s no wonder that a red dress on the White House press secretary is the subject of similarly gleeful propaganda. Ms. Leavitt’s best response might be to appear at the next briefing with her ensemble inside out, tags on display, if she can find a rare ‘Made in U.S.A.’ label in her wardrobe.”
Looking ahead at the trade war, Scafidi said, “I’m not optimistic — either for a speedy reduction in tariffs or for the financial health of American fashion companies and consumers.”
Scafidi speculated that the Department of Government Efficiency’s budget cuts perhaps “will allow the government to pay remaining federal employees enough to cover the costs of clothing that can only be driven higher [in price]by the trade war. But in the short term, I’m not optimistic — either for a speedy reduction in tariffs or for the financial health of American fashion companies and consumers.”
Read “Trump’s Press Secretary’s Dress Stirs Up Social Media in China” on Women’s Wear Daily.