A fashion brand once loved by Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla has reportedly collapsed into administration. Workwear brand Cefinn, which was founded by Samantha Cameron, is being wound down after years of losses. Kate Middleton had been spotted wearing Cefinn and Queen Camilla was also a fan. Cefinn founder Samantha Cameron is the wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron. The brand's two stores in Belgravia will remain open for now and will sell its autumn/winter collection. They are expected to close before next spring. Twenty-four employees will lose their jobs but they are expected to receive a redundancy package and paid notice. The Cefinn website is also still running and will continue trading as normal for the next few months. Cameron said in a statement posted on Instagram: “This was not a decision I have taken lightly, especially as we have recently seen strong trading figures. But, as a small company navigating the turbulence in the fashion wholesale sector, ongoing cost pressures and international trading restrictions, I have found it increasingly difficult to be certain that Cefinn can achieve the level of growth needed to reach a stable and profitable position.” She added: “I hope the Cefinn brand continues to live in the wardrobes of Cefinn fans for many seasons to come.” Cameron founded the company in 2017 and said it would offer “an urban uniform for busy women.” The brand's name was formed using the initials of her four children, Ivan, who died in 2009, Elwen, Florence, and Nancy. Cefinn's designs were also worn by the likes of Gillian Anderson, Gabby Logan, and Holly Willoughby. The company never managed to turn a profit and it faced troubles in recent years. Its sales fell by 5% to £4.2 million for the year ending October and its losses before tax were £354,000. Ecommerce site Matches, owned by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, had sold Cefinn's clothing but it collapsed last year. Reports suggested Cefinn was owed more than £100,000 after Matches fell into administration. When a company enters into administration, all control is passed to an appointed administrator. The administrator has to leverage the company's assets and business to repay creditors any outstanding debts. Once a company enters administration, a “moratorium” is put in place which means no legal action can be taken against it. Administrators write to creditors and Companies House to say they’ve been appointed. They try to stop the company from being liquidated, and if it can’t, it pays as much of a company’s debts from its remaining assets. The administrator has eight weeks to write a statement explaining what they plan to do to move the business forward. This must be sent to creditors, employees, and Companies House and invite them to approve or amend the plans at a meeting. A Notice of Intention is used to inform concerning parties that a company intends to enter administration. Cefinn, like many other retailers, has also been hit by lower consumer spending and tariff-related troubles. It broadened its range to sell more casual clothing after a slowdown in sales during the pandemic. It comes after another brand loved by Kate Middleton collapsed into administration in July. Maternity fashion retailer Seraphine stopped trading immediately and left the “majority” of its 95 staff redundant. It became a household name after the Princess of Wales wore its designs during her three pregnancies. The retail sector has struggled in recent years for a multitude of reasons. Higher inflation since 2022 has hit shoppers' budgets while businesses have struggled with higher wage, tax, and energy costs. Fashion retailer New Look has closed a dozen sites in the UK this year and also exited Ireland. Last month, Claire’s also collapsed into administration and stopped online orders for its customers. Both Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop are also shutting branches as part of restructuring efforts. The Centre for Retail Research has described the sector as going through a “permacrisis” since the 2008 financial crash. Figures from the Centre also show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops.
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