LONDON — Cult fashion label The Vampire’s Wife is facing a call for liquidation from the UK’s tax and customs authority HMRC over unpaid tax bills.
In a statement, the brand said HMRC had issued a “winding-up petition,” which would allow courts to shutter the company for failing to settle its outstanding tax obligations. The petition was issued in May and is set to become part of the public record on Friday.
“The petition specifically relates to debt built up as a consequence of lockdown strategies to tackle the pandemic,” the statement said.
According to The Vampire’s Wife, the petition was issued “without prior warning” after the label failed to make a timely payment earlier this year. HMRC rejected subsequent requests by The Vampire’s Wife to arrange a payment plan to repay its outstanding debts, the brand said.
The Vampire’s Wife said it is “working with the company’s secured lender to find a solution agreeable to all parties” and will continue to trade. A court hearing has been set for July 12.
The Vampire’s Wife was launched in 2016 by former model Susie Cave, wife of rock star Nick Cave. The label quickly gained traction for the off-beat glamour of its signature gothic-meets-prairie dresses and attracted a following among celebrities including Kate Moss, Florence Welch, Jodie Comer and Kate Middleton, as well as influential stockists like Matchesfashion, Selfridges, and Harrods.
In 2022, revenues reached £5.1 million, up 38 percent year-on-year, and the brand crossed into profitability, after making a £2.1 million loss the previous year.
