By Kristi Ellis
“Up until this point, there hasn’t really been any retaliation that has specifically targeted apparel brands and retailers or companies in the fashion industry, but these [comments from Russian officials] suggests that as the Russians are looking at where they are going to have the greatest impact, certainly with Europe and to a lesser extent with the U.S., consumer products may get caught up in this,” said Julia Hughes, president of the U.S. Fashion Industry Association. “We’ve seen a lot of saber rattling and we have definitely seen sanctions. If Russia takes action and expands the limits on trade, that certainly will have a chilling effect.”