Seraphine, the maternity fashion retailer famously worn by the Princess of Wales throughout her pregnancies, has ceased operations and entered administration.
Interpath, the consultancy firm appointed as administrators, confirmed to the BBC on Monday that a “majority” of the company’s 95 employees have been made redundant.
According to Interpath, the brand has faced “trading challenges” recently, with sales impacted by “fragile consumer confidence.”
Founded in 2002, the fashion retailer experienced a surge in popularity when Catherine, Princess of Wales, was seen wearing its maternity wear, leading to rapid sell-outs of featured items.
Prior to the official confirmation of administration, initially reported by the Financial Times, Seraphine’s website offered discounts of up to 60%. The website is now reportedly inaccessible to shoppers.
The primary goal of administration is to rescue the company, with administrators seeking to achieve this through a sale of the business or its assets. If a rescue is unfeasible, the company will be liquidated, and its assets sold.
Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath, stated that economic headwinds, including “rising costs and brittle consumer confidence,” had proven “too challenging to overcome” for Seraphine.
Interpath has indicated that it is exploring options for the business and its assets, including the Seraphine brand itself.
The retailer’s flagship store was located on Kensington High Street in London, with its products also available at retailers such as John Lewis and Next.
The rise in Seraphine’s prominence, fueled in part by royal endorsements, led to its listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 before reverting to private ownership in 2023.
Interpath noted that Seraphine “relaunched its brand identity, with a renewed focus on form, function and fit” in April of this year.
“However, with pressure on cashflow continuing to mount, the directors of the business sought to undertake an accelerated review of their investment options, including exploring options for sale and refinance,” the statement elaborated.
“Sadly, with no solvent options available, the directors then took the difficult decision to file for the appointment of administrators.”
Interpath has confirmed that it will support staff made redundant as a result of the company’s insolvency in making claims to the redundancy payments service.