Are US fashion brands at risk of growing anti-American backlash over Trump policies?

"An effortlessly cool Nick Kamen strolls into a launderette, strips to his boxer shorts and washes his jeans in front of a stunned clientele, soundtracked by Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through The Grapevine. The 1985 Levi's 501 advert made a star of its model, and presented an image in keeping with the clothing brand's all-American style. But could that deep-seated association with the US prove an achilles heel?"

"Last week, in its UK accounts, Levi's issued a warning that rising anti-Americanism as a consequence of the Trump tariffs and governmental policies could affect its sales in Britain. The idea is not unique attitudes towards Tesla in the UK and Europe deteriorated when Elon Musk was closely association with Trump. However, the Levi's warning raises the question could fashion become the latest sector affected by anti-American sentiment outside the US?"

"Achim Berg, the founder of the Germany-based fashion and luxury thinktank FashionSIGHTS, was surprised by the Levi's warning he sees the company as a different case from something such as Tesla or Amazon, which are directly associated with the US [government]. This is in contrast to other companies. I haven't seen any reports about people holding back on Apple, holding back on Netflix. If you think about it, we are all using plenty of US products and services every day."

Nick Kamen starred in a 1985 Levi's 501 advert that presented an all-American image. Levi's warned in its UK accounts that rising anti-Americanism, attributed to Trump tariffs and governmental policies, could affect sales in Britain. Attitudes towards US brands have shown sensitivity, as seen when perceptions of Tesla and Elon Musk deteriorated after his association with Trump. Experts are divided: Achim Berg sees Levi's as different from companies directly associated with the US government and notes widespread daily use of US products and services. Catherine Shuttleworth warns of potential consumer caution and advises American retailers to rethink advertising and marketing approaches.

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