LONDON — Christopher Kane, one of London’s most famous and talented designers, has gone into administration and put up a for sale sign, the company confirmed on Wednesday.
The company said the board of Christopher Kane Ltd. has recently decided to file a notice of intention to appoint FTS Recovery as administrators to work out a rescue plan for the company.
“This difficult decision was made to give the company sufficient time” to implement a plan, the directors said.
“Key stakeholders have been notified. There will now follow a period of accelerated marketing activity with a view to finding potential interested parties either to refinance the company’s existing debt or alternatively to find a buyer for the business and assets,” the company’s directors added.
Christopher Kane founded his company 17 years ago and is one of the biggest names on the London Fashion Week calendar.
The designer has collaborated in the past with Donatella Versace on collections and explores themes such as science, outer space and human anatomy for his edgy, stylish signature collections.
Kering would eventually purchase his label before selling it back to the designer in 2018. The two sides parted ways amicably.
A year later, Kane launched a second line called More Joy.
The More Joy logo first appeared on Christopher Kane’s Fall 2019 runway and later evolved into its own collection. It offered casual, well-designed products ranging from t-shirts, hoodies, swimwear and slides to eyewear and home accessories such as mugs, coasters, water bottles and yoga mats.
“We need more joy now more than ever,” Kane said as he opened a pop-up in Selfridges after London’s lockdowns were lifted.
The inspiration and typeface for the More Joy collection comes from the Joy of Sex books, with Kane first using erotic illustrations from the books for marabou dresses and tops in her Fall 2018 collection.
Alongside More Joy, Kane continued to design a ready-to-wear line, although, like many designers in London, he reduced his output to two collections a year and closed his Mount Street store.
During the isolation he also rediscovered his love for painting. He spent hours in his garden in East London creating works of art ranging from imaginary portraits to abstract works bursting with bright colors and glitter.
“This is my creative outlet filled with my fears and anxiety. This is what I did to get through the lockdown,” the designer said of his vibrant artwork.
For the Spring 2021 collection, Kane created a small capsule of one-of-a-kind pieces based on his blocking art.
The More Joy space at Selfridges.