Savile Row retailer Hardy Amies calls in administrators

Men’s tailor Hardy Amies has gone into administration for the second time in its 73-year history.

Founded by the former dressmaker to the Queen, it was previously rescued from collapse in 2008.

Administrators at Menzies said it had been trading at a loss for “some time”. Founded by the late Sir Hardy Amies, it has one shop on London’s Savile Row.

Menzies is seeking buyers for its brand’s UK operations and intellectual property rights.

Sir Hardy, who died in 2003, founded the firm initially as a men’s shop at 14 Savile Row in 1946, central London, which is still the group’s base.

The former wartime intelligence officer began dressing Princess Elizabeth in 1952 and was granted a royal warrant three years later. He was knighted in 1989.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Hardy Amies designed outfits for a number of high-profile clients including the 1966 England World Cup team and the 1972 British Olympic squad.

He also designed the costumes for Stanley Kubrik’s 1968 sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Freddy Khalastchi, business recovery partner at Menzies, said: “Despite trading at a loss in the UK for some time, the Hardy Amies brand has a unique heritage, which is much-revered in the world of haute couture, and it very much deserves to live on. 

“We are looking forward to talking with potential buyers in the coming days and weeks to find a way to make this happen.”