A fashion label founded by Samantha Cameron and worn by the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla is to be wound down after never turning a profit.
Lady Cameron, the wife of former Prime Minister David, launched Cefinn in 2017, and once counted Gillian Anderson, and Holly Willoughby but also Queen Camilla and Kate among its fans.
But despite producing around 30 collections, the brand failed to break even and will soon close its two London shops.
The company, which she created as a workwear line offering ‘an urban uniform for busy women’, was named after the initials of her four children, Ivan, who died in 2009, Elwen, Florence and Nancy.
Camilla was seen wearing a green shibori print in 2022 which Lady Cameron has worn in social media posts. The Princess of Wales has also been seen wearing one of Cameron’s outfits, a ‘Petra’ leopard print midi in 2023.
The former creative director at Smythson of Bond Street expanded the range into more casualwear during the pandemic, but the business continued to struggle with losses.
In a statement, reported by the Times, the 54-year-old said: ‘This was not a decision I have taken lightly, especially as we have recently seen strong trading figures.
The clothes produced by Lady Cameron’s firm have been worn by the Princess of Wales, wearing a ‘Petra’ leopard print midi (above)
Lady Cameron, the wife of former Prime Minister, launched Cefinn in 2017, and once counted Gillian Anderson , Gabby Logan and Holly Willoughby among its fans.
Cefinn’s eye-catching green shibori print was worn by Camilla in 2022. Right: Samantha debuts the print as part of the spring 2022 collection
‘But, as a small company navigating the turbulence in the fashion wholesale sector, ongoing cost pressures and international trading restrictions, I have found it increasingly difficult to be certain that Cefinn can achieve the level of growth needed to reach a stable and profitable position.’
She added that it had been a very hard decision and she was ‘deeply grateful’ to work with a team of ‘brilliant, talented and dedicated’ colleagues.
Cefinn’s shops on King’s Road and Elizabeth Street in Belgravia will stay open for now, selling autumn and winter collections, but are expected to close before spring.
Its 24 employees are set to receive redundancy packages and paid notice.
As previously reported by the Mail, latest accounts show sales fell by five per cent to £4.2million for the year ending October, with pre-tax losses narrowing slightly from £357,000 to £354,000.
The label said it ‘reflects the nature of an evolving, contemporary fashion business which has had to change its strategy mid-year through no fault of its own.’
The collapse of Matches Fashion last year and the struggles of Net-a-Porter, along with the broader luxury e-commerce sector, have created a ripple effect, impacting independent fashion businesses.
Cameron had previously admitted Brexit made survival ‘challenging and difficult’.
The brand had once secured a £2.5million injection from Conservative donor Lord Brownlow, but it is understood Cameron was reluctant to raise further cash from investors.
At the wedding of former chancellor George Osborne in July 2023, Lady Cameron wore her brand’s ‘Jacquetta’ dress
She said: ‘Our amazing customers have made every year rewarding; their styling of Cefinn, loyalty and lovely feedback has been a constant source of inspiration.’
Cameron studied design while her husband served as prime minister.
In 2021, she told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour that Brexit had made business survival ‘challenging and difficult’.
The brand switched to selling direct to customers in response to the problems at Matches, which was put into administration by Frasers Group last year.
However, it still struggled. Reports suggested Cameron was owed more than £100,000 after the wholesale distributor’s administration.
‘Our amazing customers have made every year rewarding; their styling of Cefinn, loyalty and lovely feedback has been a constant source of inspiration,’ Cameron said.
