Ivanka Trump shuts down her fashion label

Ivanka Trump is choosing public policy work over purses and shoes.

The first daughter, who has served as an assistant to her father since he took office in 2017, announced Tuesday that she is shutting down the eponymous fashion label she founded in 2014. The move will result in the layoff of 18 employees.

"When we first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve.  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, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners," she told USA TODAY in a statement. "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."

Although she handed off day-to-day control of the label, Trump, 36, has been criticized for not divesting herself and accused of profiting off of her position in the White House.

Last month, when the White House issued a list of Chinese-made goods it would target with $34 billion in tariffs, that country's apparel industry was largely left untouched.  In a 2017 investigation, The Washington Post found that the Ivanka Trump line relied exclusively on foreign manufacturers. However, The South China Morning Post reported that no Ivanka Trump products had shipped from China to the U.S. since March, with manufacturing shifting to other Asian countries like Vietnam, South Korea and Indonesia.

Just months into the Trump administration, ethics watchdogs carped on the president after he publicly slammed Nordstrom for dropping her line from its stores, citing poor sales. And Republicans on the House Oversight Committee requested an official inquiry after Kellyanne Conway told viewers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff" during a live TV interview.

In her financial disclosure report made public in June, Trump stated she made $12 million last year, with $5 million coming from her clothing label, which is currently overseen by a trust.

WFXT