Ivanka Trump has made the decision to close her fashion brand to focus on her political career.
Ivanka Trump
The 36-year-old businesswoman launched the eponymous label in 2014 but she stepped away from the day-to-day running of the business to take up a position as a senior adviser in Washington for her father Donald Trump after he took office as the President of the United States in January 2017.
Ivanka announced the closure of her business on Tuesday (24.07.18) and, according to NBC News, she personally met with her 18-person staff at Trump Tower in New York City to thank them for all their hard work and explain that she had no choice but to make the decision as she had no idea when, or if, she'd return to the business.
In a statement, she said: "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, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners. I am beyond grateful for the work of our incredible team who has inspired so many women; each other and myself included. While we will not continue our mission together, I know that each of them will thrive in their next chapter.
In the wake of her father Donald's election to the White House, the brand had been the target of the #grabyourwallet campaign which urged anti-Trump campaigners to boycott businesses connected with the president's businesses.
Ivanka - who is married to Jared Kushner, who also now works as a senior advisory to her 72-year-old father - is said to have been very upset at having to close the company down but she accepted that her political career is her priority.
A source told PEOPLE: "She recognised that where her focus is now is on her work in Washington. She realised that this was the most practical path forward. It was a very emotional decision for her to fold the brand ... obviously she has been very involved in her brand and she cares a lot about it. She was very proud of it ... but she plans to remain in Washington and there is no timeline for her to return to the business."
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