Karen Millenis a brand used by online women's clothing retailerBoohoo plc.The brand specialises intailoring,coatsandevening wear.It was acquired in 2019 following the collapse of Karen Millen Fashions Ltd, a company that operated a chain of clothing stores in many countries worldwide. The company was originally founded in 1981 by British entrepreneur fashion designer Karen Millen. She sold it in 2004 and was not subsequently involved in businesses bearing her name.
Company founding and growth
edit
English fashion designer Karen Millen studied fashion at the Medway College of Design, now known asUniversity for the Creative Arts.[1]She founded the Karen Millen company in 1981, partnered with Kevin Stanford. With a loan of £100, the pair bought one thousand metres of white cotton and began manufacturing and selling white shirts to their friends.[2]A party-plan network followed, and in 1983, they opened their first store in Maidstone,Kent,which was followed a few years later by branches inTunbridge Wells,Brighton,GuildfordandLondon.[citation needed]
The company continued to expand throughout the 1990s, opening dozens of retail stores. In June 2004 the founder sold the business toMosaic Fashions,a company from Iceland, had no further involvement in the Karen Millen company and under the terms of the sale was not permitted to use her name for other ventures.
After departure of the founder
editIn 2009, Mosaic Fashions ceased trading and the brand transferred toAurora Fashions.The Karen Millen brand was spun-out from Aurora Fashions in 2011, remaining under the ownership of Aurora's owner,Kaupthing Bank.[3][4][5]
In 2016 the Karen Millen company had 84 standalone stores and 46 concessions in theUKandIreland.Internationally it had 16 company-owned stores and 57 franchise stores in 23 countries.[6]
The Karen Millen business acquired the assets of its sister company, Coast, out of administration in October 2018.[7]In August 2019, the two companies' online businesses were bought out of administration by internet retailerBoohoofor £18 million. Only the online employees were taken on by Boohoo and the standalone retail stores eventually closed.[8]
References
edit- ^"UCA | University for the Creative Arts".Archived fromthe originalon December 2, 2010.
- ^About Karen Millen - Womens Designer Clothes - Karen Millen
- ^Ruddick, Graham (3 January 2015)."Aurora moves closer to break-up as Karen Millen Boss departs".The Telegraph.Retrieved5 September2015.
- ^Taylor, Charlie (15 January 2016)."Mixed trading conditions for Aurora Fashions".The Irish Times.Retrieved8 March2016.
- ^Roberts, Lauretta (17 August 2016)."Karen Millen founder loses battle for right to use her name".The Industry.Retrieved22 October2016.
- ^Baugur Group | Details | Karen Millen
- ^"Karen Millen Buys Coast Assets as Fashion Chain Goes out of Business".Business Of Fashion.11 October 2018.Retrieved19 May2020.
- ^Naomi Rovnick; Jonathan Eley; Nic Fildes (6 August 2019)."Boohoo snaps up Karen Millen and Coast in £18.2m pre-pack deal".Financial Times.Retrieved16 April2021.
External links
edit