Over three days of showing their collections to an international audience at Paris Fashion Week, our nine Americans in Paris designers — all CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists – not only had the chance to catch up, but to also address some of the important issue facing emerging fashion talent today.

Top of the list: recent tariffs on China imposed by the current U.S. administration.

Telfar Clemens, the 2017 winner of the fund, took immediate action. “I looked at who my customer was and lowered price points,” he said, “but as I produce in China, it’s 20 percent more expensive now so I take the cut. It would be cool if the same quality manufacturing at a competitive price came back to New York.”

Eli Azran of RtA said that based on his experience, this would be a temporary ride to wave. “Things happen beyond your control but then they change again,” he noted.

Americans in Paris also featured Vaquera’s Patric DiCaprio, Claire Sully, and Bryn Taubensee, Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran, Ji Oh, Ahlem’s Ahlem Manai-Platt, Sandy Liang, and Area’s Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk.

Tomorrow London Holdings Ltd provides these designers with support through event production, targeted outreach for the designers and managing sales appointments, distribution and retail. CEO and Founder Stefano Martinetto, who hosted a special breakfast with the designers on Monday morning, noted, “With small volumes and no pull with producers, it’s already a miracle that small designers can get their collections made…These tariffs are putting talent in a difficult position.”

Other topics of discussion at Americans in Paris: fur vs. faux fur, diversity and inclusion in fashion, and the importance of clearly identifying your customer

Both Victor Glemaud and Chromat expanded their size range. Beckett Fogg of Area said learning who is buying their clothes has been the biggest hallmark.

At the end, staying true to one’s vision is key, or, as Glemaud put it, to let the collection “be me — not just [design something] because it may sell.”