Kent & Curwen, the men’s shirt brand, has, reportedly, ceased trading in the UK.
The British menswear retailer’s UK-based head office, as well as retail teams, was informed of their job termination late last month. The move followed the hiring of restructuring firms RSM Hong Kong and R&H Services as joint liquidators of its Chinese owner, Trinity Group.
In a letter that was, reportedly, sent to staff, the fashion retailer stated that staff was entitled to a statutory redundancy payment, which would be received with the final instalment of their pay.
However, in another letter sent to staff, a week later, Trinity Group expressed apologies for being unable to make payments that were owed.
The second letter also said that the matter regarding the money owed had been escalated to the Group’s management to see whether any funding could be secured.
The retailer’s website stated: “We are sad to say that we are closing the website for online sales, but this is not goodbye. The styles you love are still available offline, and we encourage you to stop by your Greater China stores, and take full advantage of the discounts and deals available.”
Kent & Curwen was founded in 1926 in London by Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen, and first made its name supplying ties to universities in Oxford and Cambridge. The brand is also known for introducing a cricket sweater in the 1930s.
