Not even being awarded Britain's most prestigious fashion award can save a young designer in these tough times. Luella Bartley, British Fashion Council’s Designer of the Year 2008, has had her funding pulled which means her stand-out spring-summer 2010 collection won't be produced.
Gee, it sure is tough for a sought-after young designer in this day.
According to WWD, the London-based Club 21 which was Luella's backer, said its subsidiary, VSQ Ltd. reluctantly had “taken the decision not to invest further in its relationship with Luella Bartley Ltd.” Luella's woes are compounded by the unexpected closure last month of Luella’s main ready-to-wear producer, Carla Carini. VSQ Ltd. suffered a loss of 3.8 million pounds in 2008 and a loss of 2.8 million pounds in 2007.
Luella is sold in major stores like Liberty, Colette and Harvey Nichols and goes like the clappers on ebay. No doubt she'll find another financial backer, given that she has plenty of orders on the books and turns over 9 million pounds a year.
Enjoy some shots of Luella's last two collections, in case they're her last.