A few years ago (2010), Lilly Allen made the move to fashion from music. There was great press interest in this - including myself - since the pieces seemed to be well chosen and well priced. The brand established a store in London then smaller concessions in different stores including Brown Thomas. It opened a really quirky online store as well.
Then it vanished.
I couldn't find anything on the store anywhere. I found out the reason why - its apparently bankrupt. In more recent years, I had given up looking for it. In fact when I saw it had gone bankrupt, I couldn't even recall the name of it.
Even more interesting then that is that I learned who their backer is - Aurora Fashions. Aurora owns Warehouse, Coast and Oasis to name a few. I used to work for them YEARS ago. I do mean years in a branch in Cork.
The company are liquidating the company after it owned £12,000 which is unable to get in contact with Lilly or her sister, Sarah owens over. It doesn't seem like that big an amount given that some stores have much bigger money issues when they close. So it seems a bit odd. Apparently, in 2011, Allen handed over the business to Owens when she was pregnant. Aurora moved in in 2011 as well.
“I don’t think Lucy In Disguise has been particularly successful because they have not been able to pay their bills on time,” he said. “The remainder is quite a small sum, but we have been forced to take this course because we can’t get hold of anyone to settle the debt.” Aurora has been granted a compulsory winding up order by the high court order against Lucy In Disguise.
The physical store is still open in London.
So I had a little look. There is a statement from Sarah Owens about the piece on the bankrupt business as reported in the papers. What I took from it is that this whole bankruptcy thing was based on the 2011 glitch where Aurora came in. Stores take on backers due to financial problems or wanting more money to expand. Anyway, read for yourself :
'Saddened and more than a little bit annoyed to read in the weekend papers that Lucy in Disguise is finished... Well, here I am at Lucy in Disguise, 48 Lexington Street, Soho, London with a shop full of customers trying on vintage classics – looking for that special outfit for Christmas!! I don’t’ think I’m dreaming, no they are definitely real people in a real shop.
It seems that the press can’t get enough of raking over old stories and trying to make something new out of it – strange really as this is what Lucy In Disguise does really well – creating fabulous new looks from fashion pieces from a bygone era!!
Just to put the record straight for everyone.... Yes, there were some financial problems back in 2011 and yes, a couple of ideas for the business didn’t really gel, BUT things have moved on since then. As loyal customers will know, the shop in Soho is open 7 days a week, selling beautiful vintage outfits and accessories in a wonderful eclectic space that shoppers can’t get enough of and our online sales are doing very nicely thank you very much.
We continue to work hard, every day to provide our customers with the best in vintage shopping in London – in fact we recently won the award for 'Best Vintage Designer Store 2013' in the London Vintage Awards. Also, I’m not sure that Lauren Baker (the best window dresser in town/Selfridges Christmas 2013) would waste her time dressing our new Christmas window if all this were true...'
Sarah Owen x
So who knows. It could be related to the store scaling back on operations in recent years or it could be a cover up and actually bankrupt. I mean it wouldn't be the first time a celebrity fashion line has crashed and burned - Robbie Williams anyone? But it wouldn't be the first time the press has lied about something either - how many times has Grazia claimed Jennifer Aniston is pregnant by now?
I am also going to say that not one of the papers I read bothered to have a look on the website or contact Owens in any way. I mean the statement is quite clear on the page labelled 'Don't believe everything you read'.....Meh....Who knows...
0 Yorumlar