British fashion label The Vampire’s Wife has shut down, according to a Tuesday post on its e-commerce site written by label founder Susie Cave.
“Due to factors beyond our control, The Vampire’s Wife has stopped trading,” Cave wrote in a blog post. “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have supported us here at The Vampire’s Wife.”
Cave, a designer and former model, started the label in 2014. The line was sold through the brand’s e-commerce site as well as luxury retailers such as Farfetch, Net-a-Porter and Matches. Yet the brand began to struggle with debt, and in July 2023, the fashion label paid off taxes owed to U.K. Revenue and Customs after rounding up funds from existing investors including music producer Jimmy Iovine and his wife, actor Liberty Ross.
In addition, challenges in luxury retail, as evidenced by the March announcement that Matches would shutter and Coupang’s December acquisition of Farfetch may have proved too much for the brand, said Cave.
“Despite a period of positive growth and sales, the upheaval in the wholesale market has had dramatic implications for the brand,” Cave said in a statement on the brand’s homepage. Cave also announced the brand would hold a final physical sale of goods in London from May 24 through May 26.
The special occasion dress label was named after a book project from the designer’s husband, musician Nick Cave, and was popular with celebrities including Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and actors Jodie Comer, Cate Blanchett and Ruth Negga. Fast fashion retailer H&M also released a capsule collaboration with the brand in 2020.
“It has been a deep privilege to be a part of this magical thing — a project that quite literally saved my life,” Cave said. “Perhaps, in the end, ten years is long enough. I don’t know. My husband, Nick, and I love this company, and I will miss all the wonderful people who worked so hard to create such beautiful things.”
