Jobs lost as Joe Bloggs fashion brand owner falls into administration

The company behind iconic fashion brands such as Joe Bloggs has gone into administration with the loss of all 60 jobs.

Jonathan Avery-Gee and Stephen Conn, both of insolvency practitioner CG & Co, have been appointed joint administrators of Hornby Street, Continental Shelf 128 and Wembley Menswear Company, which collectively traded as Juice Corporation.

Manchester-based Juice Corporation is also a licensee for Slazenger and Kangol clothing.

Juice Corporation turned over £13m in its latest financial year and employed 60 staff, all of whom have been made redundant.

The joint administrators have appointed Robson Kay as the agent to value and sell the assets.

David Kay, a director of Manchester-based Robson Kay, said the assets comprise stock with a retail value of about £7.5m, intellectual property rights and items such as office furniture, racking and fork-lift trucks.

He said: “We are looking to sell these as a package and have received a number of inquiries from potential buyers. We hope to achieve a sale in the near future.”

The companies in administration also own a series of buildings, including a warehouse, offices and showrooms.

“These will be put up for sale in due course, with priority given to the buyer of the stock and intellectual property rights,” added Mr Kay.

The Joe Bloggs brand was established in 1985 and quickly capitalised on the Manchester dance scene, bringing back the 25-inch flare.

In 1987, Joe Bloggs became the first British label to enter the UK’s top 10 jeans brands.

The brand enjoyed huge success in the late 1980s and 1990s, during which it also produced ranges for celebrities including pop star Prince, cricket legend Brian Lara and Uri Geller.

The business expanded by acquiring brands as well as licences for well-known labels including Slazenger, which it re-launched into the UK market in 1998 after a 20-year absence.

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