Aurora Fashions was a holding company of several retail fashion brands, formed in 2009 to purchase a number of businesses from the collapsed Mosaic Fashions. The company operated over 1,250 stores in 38 countries, including franchises, under the Oasis, Warehouse and Coast brands.[1]
History
In March 2011, the company announced plans to spin off Karen Millen,[2] which was completed in 2012.[3] Karen Millen was separated from the group to be owned by Aurora's parent Kaupthing Bank.[4]
Aurora announced further plans in March 2013 for a wider restructuring. As part of this, Coast was also separated from the rest of the group, under the ownership of Kaupthing,[5] and it was planned that Oasis and Warehouse would be merged under a new single parent company, Fresh Channel.[6][7] The two brands were eventually de-merged as the Oasis and Warehouse Group, led by Liz Evans.[8][9]
On 30 April 2020, it was announced that both Oasis and Warehouse went into administration with the loss of 1,800 jobs.[10]
External links
References
- Tiffany Holland. Aurora Fashions to be broken up in radical restructure Retail Week, 6 March 2013, retrieved 31 December 2014^
- Katherine Rushton. Aurora Fashions to spin off Karen Millen Retail Week, 1 March 2011, retrieved 29 January 2013^
- Graham Ruddick. Aurora moves closer to break-up as Karen Millen boss departs The Telegraph, 3 January 2015, retrieved 5 September 2015^
- Charlie Taylor. Mixed trading conditions for Aurora Fashions The Irish Times, 15 January 2016, retrieved 8 March 2016^
- Sarah Butler. Kate Bostock to head up Coast The Guardian, 20 August 2013, retrieved 31 December 2014^
- Gemma Taylor. Aurora Fashions to restructure business Retail Gazette, 6 March 2013, retrieved 31 December 2014^
- Losses widen at fashion giant Insider Media, 9 February 2015, retrieved 5 September 2015^
- Simon Neville. Oasis: Fashion brand turns profit for first time in three years as it goes upmarket The Independent, 27 November 2015, retrieved 22 October 2016^
- Philip Gallagher. Oasis carries Warehouse as group turns profit Retail Gazette, 27 November 2015, retrieved 22 October 2016^
- Oasis and Warehouse to close permanently, with loss of 1,800 jobs The Guardian, 30 April 2020, retrieved 30 April 2020^