FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA —When Tarang Mishra describes how he built his clothing brand, Untitled Kingdom, he starts with the story behind its name. At 17, the child of Indian immigrants growing up in the United States, he felt the pressure to excel in every domain of life. “Whenever I didn’t meet the mark, I looked at myself as sort of a failure,” he recalled. Only later did he realize how much those feelings were shaped by what he called “societal titles or labels that deemed me as good or bad at something.”
His answer was a philosophy—and a clothing company—to push back against that. “Untitled is to reject societal titles and cherish the progress you make toward the goal instead of the actual goal itself,” he said. The “kingdom,” he added, was meant to symbolize community.
Now 21, Mishra is a graduate student studying global commerce and public policy at George Mason University, and the realities of trade policy have become far more than academic. The tariffs that once felt distant are now a daily part of his business calculus.
A Clothing Line Caught in a Shifting Trade Landscape
Mishra produces his garments through manufacturers in India, China, Pakistan, and Turkey, relationships he built slowly over several years, relationships now strained. “When I started, I didn’t really know how to navigate trade policy,” he said. “Now I’m starting to really feel the effects of the tariffs, particularly when it comes to my manufacturers.”
Tariffs have raised input costs and introduced new uncertainty. “My manufacturers had to raise their prices,” he said. “I’ve also had to figure out how to sell my current inventory and use that money to pay for inventory that’s priced at a much higher market rate.”
More troubling for him is an erosion of trust and stability in cross-border partnerships. “At least one of my manufacturers has taken a step back, saying they’re not wanting to continue business because it is too complicated,” he said.
In an industry where production depends on consistency and timing, those complications ripple quickly.
Tracking Tariffs in Real Time
To keep pace with changing costs, Mishra monitors price shifts manually. With manufacturers in India and Pakistan, where he speaks the languages, he relies on direct communication: “I keep track through texting them. I have a price chart I maintain to know what’s going up or down.”
For China and Turkey, the process is less immediate. “It’s monitoring the news and talking to as many manufacturers as I can,” he said. “If one manufacturer tells me one thing and three others tell me another, I use my sources to make a judgment on the best call.”
This is what tariffs look like on the ground: not abstract shifts in trade flows, but a young entrepreneur piecing together a global supply chain from message threads, news alerts, and instinct.
Tight Margins in a Tightening Market
Mishra built Untitled Kingdom with an eye toward affordability. Selling to college students, he kept prices low, operating on a thin profit margin to grow the brand. But rising costs have pushed him toward reconsidering that model.
“I am going to have to inevitably raise my prices,” he said, noting the impact that will have on customers. “I’m taking it day by day as everything is changing so fast.”
Planning even a single product drop, he said, now requires navigating a moving target.
Tariffs in the Classroom
In his graduate program, Mishra regularly discusses trade policy with peers from around the world. Many encounter tariffs as consumers, others as economists-in-training. His professors tell them openly: “This particular situation is very unique, and a lot of these trade theories are not going to be applicable to what is going on in the real world today.”
For Mishra, that disconnect feels especially acute. The theory lives in lectures. The consequences live on his balance sheet.
A Message for Policymakers
Asked what he wanted policymakers to understand, Mishra did not hesitate. “Small business interests are what shape innovation in the economy,” he said. He acknowledged the desire to onshore manufacturing, but urged a more holistic view: “Global trade is so interconnected. If people are able to access global partnerships, we will be in a better place as a country.”
Local mom-and-pop shops and high-growth startups, he added, both rely on stable, predictable trade. Without support, he warns, innovation narrows.
Why Entrepreneurs Must Speak Up
Mishra views storytelling as an economic imperative. “To actually create change, it requires multiple people from multiple backgrounds to unify around one particular area,” he said. “That is why entrepreneurs should be telling their story about how tariffs are affecting them.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the challenges, Mishra is optimistic. He plans to release a new collection of hoodies and sweatpants next month, pending manufacturer delays. The line will support humanitarian causes, a step he describes not as charity but as continuity.
“Being able to give back to the people that shaped my experience is something I’m extremely excited to do,” he said.