Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar 4/8/25: US Clothing Brand Sounds Alarm On Tariffs, Trump Pulls Chair For Bibi, Tucker Warns On Iran War, SCOTUS Greenlights Trump Deportations
Apr 8, 2025
Andrew Chen, co-owner of the acclaimed fashion brand 3sixteen, dives into the pressing issue of tariffs affecting smaller clothing brands. He discusses how rising raw material costs are squeezing independent manufacturers and the challenges of maintaining quality amidst the fast fashion frenzy. The conversation also touches on the unsettling implications of U.S. military involvement in Gaza and the recent Supreme Court ruling on deportations, highlighting the intertwined fates of fashion, politics, and global issues.
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Tariffs' Impact on a US Clothing Brand
- Andrew Chen's US-made clothing brand, 3sixteen, faces challenges due to new tariffs.
- These tariffs cause a 24% increase in cost for Japanese denim, affecting the entire value chain.
Challenges of Reshoring
- Reshoring the entire supply chain is difficult for small brands due to lack of infrastructure and expertise.
- It takes significant time and investment, which many small businesses cannot afford.
Specialized Denim Production
- High-quality selvage denim production is specialized and currently thrives in Japan.
- Recreating this specialized process in the US would be a monumental task for a small brand.