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Next has acquired the brand and intellectual property of maternity fashion retailer Seraphine, following its collapse into administration at the beginning of July.
Seraphine ceased trading on 7 July when Will Wright and Chris Pole of consultancy Interpath were appointed joint administrators.
The move resulted in the closure of its Kensington High Street flagship store and the redundancy of most of its 95 staff.
The administrators confirmed that certain assets, including the Seraphine brand, had been sold to Next, while other parts of the business remain under review.
Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath, said: “We are pleased to have concluded this transaction which preserves the Seraphine brand, and wish the team at Next all the very best for the future.”
Founded in 2002, Seraphine built its reputation on maternity and post-natal fashion and was worn by the Princess of Wales during her pregnancies. Its products were stocked by John Lewis and Next, as well as sold online.
The company floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 but returned to private ownership in 2023. A rebrand in April aimed at emphasising “form, function and fit” failed to reverse falling sales and ongoing cashflow pressures.
Interpath said it is supporting affected employees with claims to the government’s Redundancy Payments Service.
