Good morning! Diddy's sex-trafficking trial has begun, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles faces conflict of interest concerns, and tariffs continue to roil the fashion world.
- Style at risk. The clothing brand Lafayette 148 is 29 years old, worn by Melania Trump, and makes 95% of its inventory at a compound it built in China. Cofounder and CEO Deirdre Quinn says U.S. tariffs on China are costing her $600,000 a week and she "won't make it 'til Christmas" if President Donald Trump's China trade war continues.
Quinn is one of several small business owners sounding the alarm about the impact of tariffs on their companies. (Even as fashion marches on—as seen at last night's Met Gala.) A group of female founders convened by the cofounders of the wine brand Juliet sent a letter to the Trump administration last month calling for support for small-business owners to transition to domestic supply chains; one of the group's examples was Juliet itself, which is mostly made in the U.S. with one packaging component that comes from China—and has no viable domestic alternative.
