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Karen Millen has agreed to buy certain parts of the Coast’s UK business out of administration.
Under Karen Millen, Coast will trade primarily across its various websites, in concessions across the UK and through wholesale and franchise partners. Coast’s solus stores and the concessions on mainland Europe are not included in the deal.
As a result around 600 members of staff will transfer to Coast however around 300 are still left with an uncertain future. Coast was owned by Aurora Fashions, which also owns retailers Oasis and Warehouse. The retailer had numerous concessions in House of Fraser and was owed millions after the department store chain itself collapsed earlier this year.
Karen Millen said it is “confident that it can leverage its product expertise and existing global relationships to drive growth potential across Coast’s sales channels”.
Beth Butterwick, CEO of Karen Millen, said: “We are excited to be welcoming over 600 Coast employees to the Karen Millen family. With its beautiful fabrics, stunning colours and signature designs, Coast is a much-loved fashion brand that has dressed women for all occasions since 1996. Our expertise and infrastructure puts us in a unique position to create a lean and profitable business, ensuring it remains a thriving destination in department stores and online.”
