Ivanka Trump shuts down fashion brand 'to focus on politics'

President's daughter plans to remain in Washington indefinitely

Ivanka Trump is closing her fashion brand (Getty)

Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, has announced she is closing her namesake fashion brand.

On Tuesday, the brand’s 18 employees were informed that the company would be closing for good – a decision she said was made so she could avoid any potential conflicts of interest and focus on her role in Washington.

"When we first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve," Ms Trump said in a statement.

"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.

"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."

The decision comes amid growing boycotts from campaigns targeting stores associated with the Trump brand.

Since Mr Trump took office, multiple department stores including Nordstrom and Canada's Hudson's Bay have discontinued selling the Ivanka Trump brand.

A spokesperson for the Ivanka Trump brand told The Independent: “This decision has nothing to do with the performance of the brand and is based solely on Ivanka’s decision to remain in Washington indefinitely.”

According to current president Abigail Klem, the Ivanka Trump brand, which sells shoes, clothing, and accessories, has seen strong sales since its inception in 2014 and had recently launched an online business.

Despite stepping down from her leadership role in the company, financial reports show Ms Trump continued to make money from the brand – with reported earnings of more than $5m (£3.8m) in the last year.