USFIA partnered with World Salon to bring you the third webinar in our Digital Fireside Series:Geopolitical Risk and Fashion: Supply Chains, Sourcing Strategy, and Market Resilience in an Era of Global Instability.
Geopolitical risk is increasingly reshaping the global fashion industry, challenging supply chain models long built for efficiency and cost optimization. This webinar will explore how rising geopolitical tensions, evolving trade policies, tariffs, sanctions, and increased regulatory enforcement- particularly around forced labor, transparency, and national security- are affecting apparel and footwear supply chains. It also examines the growing role of government agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in driving compliance expectations.
The session will further address how geopolitical instability and regional conflicts are disrupting logistics, increasing energy and transportation costs, and threatening critical shipping routes such as the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. These disruptions create significant risks for lead times and inventory planning in a highly time‑sensitive industry. Finally, the webinar will highlight emerging strategies such as supplier diversification, nearshoring, and friend‑shoring, and discusses how companies can balance cost, compliance, resilience, and sustainability in a more fragmented and uncertain global landscape.
Speakers:
Julia K. Hughes, President of the United States Fashion Industry Association
Julia K. Hughes represents a broad spectrum of the fashion industry, including brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers operating globally. With a career spanning over three decades, Hughes has been a prominent advocate for free trade and the elimination of barriers in the textile and apparel sectors. She has testified before the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch on trade policy issues and is a recognized expert in textile and apparel trade matters. Hughes frequently speaks at international conferences, such as the Apparel Sourcing Show, MAGIC, and the WTO Beijing International Forum. She holds an M.A. in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Her leadership has been instrumental in rebranding the association from the United States Association of Importers of Textiles & Apparel (USA-ITA) to USFIA, reflecting the evolving nature of the global fashion industry.
Catherine Nekavand, Partner at AlixPartners
Catherine Nekavand is a Partner at AlixPartners, advising global luxury and beauty brands on navigating geopolitical disruption while protecting margin and brand equity. Trained as a chemical engineer, she began her career in oil and gas, managing complex supply chains across seven
countries, from Chad and Oman to Norway and the U.S. She later held leadership roles at Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton within LVMH.
Catherine specializes in trade risk, tariff strategy, and sourcing resilience. She serves on the NYU Luxury & Retail Advisory Board Council and holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris.
David Uricoli, Partner at Gherzi
David Uricoli is a Partner at Gherzi with over 35 years of experience in apparel manufacturing, procurement, sourcing, sustainability, and due diligence. A pioneer in corporate responsibility, he founded and led Ralph Lauren’s Global Human Rights Compliance department, establishing its ethical production framework.
David specializes in ESG, sustainability, risk management, and regulatory compliance across the apparel,
accessories, and footwear supply chains. His expertise drives supplier improvements and fosters lasting progress, making him a valuable asset to
Gherzi’s mission.
Felicia Pullam, Senior Director of Geo-Commerce at APCO Worldwide
Felicia Pullam brings 25 years of experience with international trade, foreign investment, and supply chain transparency to her role at APCO, a global
public affairs firm. Immediately prior, she served as executive director of trade relations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, working on forced labor, illicit trade, tariffs, and customs modernization.
She has served at both the federal and state government levels, including as a deputy assistant secretary covering textiles, apparel, consumer products, metals, and other goods at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She started her career in China, leading APCO’s Asia corporate responsibility and sustainability practice.