Maternity-wear specialist Seraphine has entered administration, leading to the redundancy of most of its 95 staff members.

The fashion brand, which was worn by the Princess of Wales during her three pregnancies, appointed administrators from Interpath Advisory on 7 July after failing to secure new investment.

The move follows a period of trading difficulties for the retailer, aggravated by weak consumer confidence which negatively affected revenues.

It comes after Seraphine relaunched its brand identity earlier in the year to focus on form, function and fit.

However, with rising cashflow pressure, the company’s directors decided to undertake an accelerated review of their investment options, including looking into options for sale and refinance.

In the absence of solvent options, the directors decided to file for the appointment of administrators. Seraphine is set to provide all of its available support to affected workers.

The advisory group is looking into options for Seraphine and its assets, including its brand.

The retailer floated on the London Stock Exchange in July 2021 under the ticker “BUMP”. However, the business struggled to meet investor expectations, and was taken private in 2023 by Mayfair Equity Partners.

Interpath UK CEO Will Wright said: “Over the past 23 years, Seraphine has grown to become a well-known and well-lovedmaternity brand, known for its blend of comfort and style.

“Unfortunately, the strong economic headwinds that have been impacting a number of the UK’s high street and online retailers, including rising costs and brittle consumer confidence, have proved too challenging to overcome.”

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