IVANKA SHUTS FASHION LABEL

IVANKA Trump announced yesterday that she was closing her eponymous fashion brand, following a firestorm of criticism about potential conflicts of interests and flagging sales fueled by a political backlash.

The 36-year-old, who has been frequently photographed wearing shoes from her namesake label, stepped away from the company to work in the White House as an advisor to her father, President Donald Trump, but continued to profit from the label.

While the clothing, footwear and accessories brand experienced a surge in sales in 2016, the year that Trump won the presidency, it suffered a backlash after he took office, and had been axed by a growing number of retail chains.

As first daughter, she has travelled overseas representing the US, attended meetings with visiting heads of state and travelled domestically, fueling speculation that she may harbor future political ambitions of her own.

“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 in a statement.

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

“I know that each of them will thrive in their next chapter.”

US watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington offered lukewarm approval and called on the Trump family to divest from all assets, saying they should have done so before entering the White House.

“While this is a notable step in the right direction, it’s a small one that comes much too late,” said CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder.

Reports that the brand would file for new trademarks “raises questions as to how serious this ‘shut down’ really is and whether the brand will continue to create conflicts of interest,” he added.