Joe Bloggs owner and fashion firm East go into administration
The owner of Joe Bloggs, the fashion label that became synonymous with the "Madchester" music scene ..
The owner of Joe Bloggs, the fashion label that became synonymous with the "Madchester" music scene of the late 1980s, has gone into administration.
Juice Corporation has made 60 people redundant and its assets are being put up for sale.
Joe Bloggs was known for its baggy denim flares, with some measuring as wide as 25-inches.
Asian-inspired High Street fashion brand East has also gone into administration.
East, whose controlling shareholder is Indian retail group Fabindia, operates 34 stores and 15 concessions in the UK, with a total workforce of 314 people.
The firms' failures come during a tough period for UK fashion retailers. While new online fast-fashion brands have seen dramatic growth, older brands and High Street retailers have struggled.
Dressing celebs
Both brands have more than 20 years' pedigree with UK consumers.
In the 1980s Joe Bloggs' signature baggy denim jeans were worn by the likes of Manchester bands Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets.
Joe Bloggs was set up by Shami Ahmed in 1985 when he was in his early twenties. The brand rode the wave of Manchester's cultural and musical resurgence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, making Mr Ahmed a multi-millionaire.
However, he was declared bankrupt in 2009 after running up large gambling debts.
Joe Bloggs is one of a number of brands owned by the Juice Corporation, including Elizabeth Emanuel.
Juice Corporation bought the name but then faced a six-year court battle with Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed the wedding dress worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles.
Juice Corporation eventually won and used the name for a range of evening dresses, nightwear and lingerie.
Local crafts
East was launched in 1994 by former Monsoon employees Clive Pettigrew, Penny Oliver and Jonathan Keating.
The Indian firm behind it, Fabindia, was set up to help distribute goods made by local craft workers in Jaipur and Rajasthan.
Joe Bloggs-owner Juice Corporation is also a licensee for Slazenger and Kangol, which counts the actor Samuel L Jackson among its fans.
The administrators appointed Robson Kay to oversee a sale of the company's assets, which include around £7.5m, in intellectual property rights and buildings.
