Danish fashion designer Dea Kudibal is confronting the reality of Trump’s trade policies head-on, revealing that her Winter 2025 collection will face “only” 30% tariffs when entering the US market. The founder and creative director of her eponymous womenswear brand, which maintains 11 UK stockists alongside direct-to-consumer online sales, is adapting her business strategy to navigate the challenging tariff landscape.
Strategic Response to Trade Pressures
Kudibal tells industry publication Drapers how she is navigating Trump’s tariffs and why she believes in supporting independent stockists now more than ever. Her approach reflects a broader trend among European fashion brands reassessing their international expansion plans amid escalating trade tensions.
The tariff impact extends beyond individual brands to reshape entire supply chains. Some of the most severe import duties announced Wednesday were aimed at apparel manufacturing hubs, creating ripple effects throughout the global fashion industry. The Trump administration’s radical changes to US trade policy won’t push retail prices up enough to directly dampen sales, but the effects on the global economy and consumer sentiment could seriously dent an industry still struggling to bounce back from a sharp downturn in demand.
Industry-Wide Implications
Caroline Ekström, founder of Oldstrom Agency, whose roster of European brands includes Dea Kudibal, Caroline Svedbom and Sand Copenhagen, said that brands yet to enter the US market are unlikely to go there now, and may explore alternative markets. This shift suggests Danish and other European fashion brands are reconsidering their American market strategies.
The broader economic impact is already visible, with Denmark’s central bank cutting its economic outlook for 2025 substantially because of weaker sales growth at Novo Nordisk A/S and US tariffs. For fashion brands like Kudibal’s, the challenge lies in maintaining growth while adapting to new trade realities that prioritize domestic partnerships over international expansion.