The parent company of retail brands Rodney Clark and Gordon Smith has collapsed into voluntary administration, however, the brands are reportedly continuing to operate under a license agreement.
Gordon Smith Marketing was founded in 1992 and its women’s clothing brands include Gordon Smith, Amoire, Hammock & Vine, Nouvelle Woman, Kiki & Lulu and Basic.
The brands are sold in 15 Rodney Clark retail stores, located on the east coast of Australia, as well as through a Rodney Clark-branded online store.
According to records from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, administrators were appointed to Gordon Smith Marketing Pty Ltd, Rodney Clark Pty Ltd and Rodney Clark Retail Pty Ltd on June 27, with Andrew Schwarz from AS Advisory managing the administration.
The first meetings of the companies’ creditors is scheduled to be held in Sydney on July 7.
The business is continuing to trade and according to Ragtrader, it entered into a contract of sale with wholesaler Brands For Us prior to the appointment of a voluntary administrator.
In a statement provided to SmartCompany, Schwarz confirmed the sale of Rodney Clark to wholesaler Brands For Us, which owns and operates two other women’s fashion brands, Threadz and Clarity.
Schwarz said he expects all Rodney Clark stores, except for the store in Indooroopilly in Queensland, to continue to operate following the sale, which will mean most employees will keep their jobs. The Rodney Clark business currently employs around 100 people.
“It is going to be business as usual at the remaining Rodney Clark stores and I am appealing to regular shoppers to continue to support the business by making the most of the excellent store-wide sale currently underway,” Schwarz said.
Schwarz said it is too early to tell what caused the collapse, but said the winter season had been “difficult” for women’s fashion retailers in general.
SmartCompany contacted Gordon Smith Marketing and Brands For Us but did not receive a response prior to publication.
*This article was updated on July 4, 2016, to include additional information and comments from AS Advisory.
News Editor
Prior to joining SmartCompany, Eloise was news editor at Books+Publishing, the trade press for the Australian book industry. Eloise has degrees in media and communications, marketing and business management, and political science. You can follow her on Twitter at @ellykeating.
