Concerns over such sentiment outside US rise after Levi’s says UK sales could be hit by president’s decisions
A
n 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 associated with Trump. However, the Levi’s warning raises the question – could fashion become the latest sector affected by anti-American sentiment outside the US?
Retail and brand experts are divided. 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.”
