Samantha Cameron shutters her Cefinn fashion brand citing market turbulence

Samantha Cameron has announced the closure of her fashion brand Cefinn just months after opening its second retail store on London's King's Road.

Cameron founded the brand in 2017 with a mission to offer "chic, grown-up designer fashion for the multitasking woman". However the founder and creative director said "turbulence in the fashion wholesale sector, ongoing cost pressures and international trading restrictions" had made it impossible to sufficiently grow the brand and deliver a profit.

Cefinn is understood to have been hit by the collapse of luxury multibrand fashion retailer Matches, which had stocked the line, and Cameron had previously spoken of the challenges for small businesses to trade internationally following Brexit.

The decision to close the brand was "not taken lightly", said Cameron in a statement, "especially as we have recently seen strong trading figures. 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."

"Our amazing customers have made every year rewarding; their styling of Cefinn, loyalty and lovely feedback has been a constant source of inspiration. There is also an amazing community of fellow female entrepreneurs, as well as fashion journalists, influencers and industry experts that I am extraordinarily grateful to for their consistent advice and generous enthusiasm – I could not have got this far without you. And I hope the Cefinn brand continues to live in the wardrobes of Cefinn fans for many seasons to come," Cameron added.

Cefinn SS25

The timing of the decision is something of a surprise since a flagship store was opened on King's Road on June. The brand had previously opened a store in Fitzrovia a year before. Cameron said the stores would remain trading "as normal over the coming months" but said she would not be presenting a spring collection in the new year.

Cameron, wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron, became known for her elegant, understated style. Before establishing her own label, she had been creative director at British luxury brand Smythson. The Cefinn brand gained a number of high profile fans over the years, including Gillian Anderson, Gaby Logan, Erin O’Connor, and members of the Royal Family.

The business was launched in 2017 with £770,000 in backing from investors including Venrex. It received a further £400,000 in backing in January 2018 and in September 2018 raised £2.5 million from backers including Wendy Yu of Hong-Kong based Yu Holdings, David Brownlow's Havisham Investments, and Philip Bassett, founder of investment firm Brightwell Partners, along with original backer Venrex.

Cefinn found a niche for accessibly priced, but high-quality clothing that would take women from work to social engagements. It was particularly known for its dresses but also offered tailoring and knitwear. Dresses are typically priced from around £290 to £350 with blazers around £340. The business reached sales of £4.2 million for the year ending October while losses before tax were £354,000.