In a year when tariffs and consumer confidence are constantly fluctuating, the fashion industry is focused on staying prepared. Within the first quarter alone, the new U.S. presidential administration’s approach to trade policy has reversed course multiple times, and brands are thinking about how they can adapt to this uneven landscape.
These topics all emerged as key themes during the American Apparel and Footwear Association’s annual executive summit earlier this month. This year’s event was titled “Trust & Transformation” and featured discussions on preparing and dealing with change as the industry and outside forces — such as technology and the new administration — move even faster.
Tariff policy
Within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second administration, various tariff threats have led fashion companies to reconsider their sourcing strategies. Conversations at the summit focused on how companies can engage with their suppliers and with the administration on how to handle the changes.
“Tariff policy these days seems like curve on top of curve,” said Stephen Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA. “[With] the concept of reciprocal tariffs, every single one of our sourcing partners and markets is facing some level of tariffs, some probably worse than others.”
Lamar encouraged attendees to harness the tariff conversation to make it about negotiating better outcomes focused on smart sourcing and responsible manufacturing.
Nasim Fussell, senior vice president of public relations firm Lot Sixteen, said it would be beneficial to discuss the tariffs’ impact on workers and the broader economy as well as to present data on alternatives that would still reach the administration’s goals.
“At the end of the day, he likes the tariffs,” said Fussell, referring to Trump. “Going in to say, ‘Tariffs are bad,’ at this point strategically is not likely to get very far at all. In fact, it could potentially be that you may not be invited back for another conversation.”
Adapting to changing consumer preferences
2024 was a year where consumers shifted their spending away from apparel and toward travel and other experiences. Some brands are working to capitalize on this trend moving forward, and in some cases gather more data on their key customer demographics.
“Fundamentally we all sell change,” said Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat and a keynote speaker at the summit. “If the customer never changed, they wouldn’t need our brands.”
Tapestry, holding company of Coach and Kate Spade, has been working to gain new customers, particularly Generation Z. To accomplish this, Crevoiserat said Tapestry recognized the importance of harnessing consumer data to drive day-to-day decision making for its brands.
“In a world where a consumer can get anything they want, anywhere they want, anytime they want, brands really matter,” Crevoiserat said.
But for younger consumers, brands also must serve to enhance a customer’s personal brand on social media, said Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry analyst for market research firm Circana.
Social media can be a growth engine for companies. Classi-Zummo pointed to the influence of Instagram and TikTok on trends as a key reason fast fashion giants, such as Shein and Temu, are gaining new customers outside their core demographic.
Tackling waste
While some federal ESG policies are stalled, states are looking to address fashion’s environmental footprint. One such instance is California’s SB707, which passed last year and established an extended producer responsibility, or EPR, program for textiles — the nation’s first.
EPR programs shift the financial and operational burden of the end-of-life cycle for products to the private sector, or producers. At the association’s summit, speakers addressed how to best comply with these regulations.
Rachel Wagoner, executive director of the California branch of nonprofit organization Circular Action Alliance, encouraged company leaders to see the bill as an opportunity beyond just regulatory compliance. When an EPR is done correctly, the structure can boost recycling rates to help create a more sustainable environment and supply chain overall, she said.
EPR programs could evolve into other efforts introduced to create a circular economy, such as recycling mandates, said Randi Marshall, head of sustainability and public affairs for H&M Americas. The California EPR textile program is in its infancy, so it’s important to look into how EPR has worked in the EU to see how it could continue to evolve, she said.
The California legislation calls on producers to work with a producer responsibility organization, or PRO, to create a plan for the collection, transportation, repair, sorting and recycling of the textiles.
“With PROs helping to harmonize some of the administrative side, there will be opportunities to improve the law over time,” Marshall said.
