It looks like the end of the road for tween favourite Claire’s, as the accessories brand is placed into administration by its owner Modella Capital. 

The news comes just days after upmarket British high street brand LK Bennett filed an application with the high court to appoint an administrator to the business, which employs about 280 staff.

Modella – a private equity firm – purchased Claire’s in September 2025, six weeks after its previous collapse into administration. It has cited tough trading conditions and “alarming” low Christmas trading as reasons for its action. 

“A combination of very weak consumer confidence, highly adverse government fiscal policies and continued cost inflation is causing many established and much-loved businesses to suffer badly,” Modella said.

Modella currently operates has 154 Claire’s stores with approximately 1,350 members of staff . It is believed that the advisory firm Kroll will handle the proposed administration. 

Already operating in the US, Claire’s entered the UK market in the mid-1970s, establishing itself as a destination for trendy, affordable accessories for teenagers. By the 1990s, Claire’s UK was a major retailer of colourful jewellery and accessories, and provided ear piercing services across its hundreds of stores.

Difficult trading conditions in a post Brexit Britain has seen a deluge of household names folding in the last few years. The Body Shop collapsed into administration back in February 2024 and Ted Baker followed in March. The Vampires Wife was another shock closure that highlighted the acute pain points of running a business in an isolated trading region. British fashion is off to a shaky 2026 start with these latest announcements.

High inflation, interest rates, and changing consumer spending habits have all contributed.  Claire’s also struggled to compete with Chinese online fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu, as well as Irish owned Primark, all of which offer similar products, but at a cheaper price point.