Trump likes to know where his suits come from

His tariffs could now upend the world's fashion supply chains

- BY AROOJ RASHID Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Nottingham Trent University and ANTHONY KENT Professor of Fashion Marketing, Nottingham Trent University

US president Donald Trump has a particular look. Sharp navy suits, overly long ties and crisp white shirts, always structured to command attention. It's a power uniform rooted in a very traditional idea of masculine elegance. Trump wants it to look expensive, meticulously crafted, consistent, and entirely his own.

Behind the populist slogans and “Buy American” rhetoric, this president has long embraced symbols of global luxury. While he’s worn American tailoring from Brooklyn’s Martin Greenfield - a craftsman who has dressed everyone from Barack Obama to Colin Powell - he has also been a longstanding customer of Brioni, an exclusive Italian brand of tailored clothing.

So, while campaigning for American-made goods Trump has for years enjoyed the prestige of the “Made in Italy” tag, and the luxurious connotations it brings to menswear.

But his trade policies have done the opposite for the global fashion industry. By threatening massive trade tariffs on countries like China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, he has potentially created chaos for both the industry and consumers.

Traditionally, what's known as “country of origin” has been represented by the “made in” label, a key branding tool that can shape consumer perceptions of product quality and other attributes. However, as globalisation has led to the outsourcing of design, materials and production, the definition has become increasingly complex.