Birmingham firm snaps up remnants of former Slimma brands

A BIRMINGHAM clothing company has acquired the remnants of failed Staffordshire firm CDU – formerly Slimma – following a trade sale.

John Whitfield and Philip Duffy, partners at MCR and joint administrative receivers of Leek based CDU have brokered the sale of former Slimma brands Frank Usher, Coterie, Michel Ambers and Dusk to Roman Originals.

Roman Originals, established in 1957, is a family owned business based in Erdington. The company designs and manufactures its own range of ladies clothing and accessories, and has more than 180 retail outlets around the UK.

Mr Whitfield said: “This is a real success for MCR as it has secured the future of some of the best known names in the retail ladies wear market.

“These are well-established brands with a dedicated and loyal customer base so the key driver for us was to protect the brands and in doing so maximise the return to creditors of CDU from their sale.

“Roman Originals has a long heritage in the womenswear market, with an extensive range of products and all sold through a network of retail outlets.  For MCR this was the natural home for the former CDU brands.”

Rick Christo, of Roman Originals, said: “We have been looking to add to our portfolio and this deal brings us some of the best known brands in the market.”

Share trading in CDU was cancelled in April. The move came after receivers were called in to the firm in March. CDU, which employed 44 people, had changed its name from Slimma to CDU in February following the sale of its Slimma and Splendour brands to online fashion retailer N Brown.

Following the sale, CDU was left to focus on the design, sourcing and wholesale of its remaining brands Frank Usher, Coterie, Michel Ambers and Dusk.

The company, which had been trading for 60 years, announced that it was in difficulty because its banking facilities were unlikely to be extended beyond the end of March.