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| Viyella goes into administration | Viyella goes into administration |
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| The clothing firm Viyella, which was founded in 1784, has become the latest long-established British company to call in the administrators. | The clothing firm Viyella, which was founded in 1784, has become the latest long-established British company to call in the administrators. |
| The company has annual sales of about £30m and operates 40 stores, 64 concessions and four clearance outlets. | The company has annual sales of about £30m and operates 40 stores, 64 concessions and four clearance outlets. |
| Viyella is best-known as a womenswear business, although it has diversified into menswear, homewares and cosmetics. | Viyella is best-known as a womenswear business, although it has diversified into menswear, homewares and cosmetics. |
| The company, which employs about 500 people, said it believed there would be strong interest in buying the brand. | |
| It also expressed the hope that the administrators would be able to sell the business quickly to protect jobs. | It also expressed the hope that the administrators would be able to sell the business quickly to protect jobs. |
| "Following an assessment of the current economic situation and the prospects for the future, the directors have reluctantly decided that they have no alternative but to place the business into administration," the company said in a statement. | "Following an assessment of the current economic situation and the prospects for the future, the directors have reluctantly decided that they have no alternative but to place the business into administration," the company said in a statement. |
| Viyella was originally registered in 1894 as the name of a cloth made from 55% wool and 45% cotton, which was the world's first branded cloth. | Viyella was originally registered in 1894 as the name of a cloth made from 55% wool and 45% cotton, which was the world's first branded cloth. |
| More recently, it was part of Coats Viyella and was a manufacturer and supplier of womenswear to retailers such as Marks and Spencer. | More recently, it was part of Coats Viyella and was a manufacturer and supplier of womenswear to retailers such as Marks and Spencer. |
| Since splitting from Coats Viyella, the company has had a number of different owners and built up the retail side of the business. | Since splitting from Coats Viyella, the company has had a number of different owners and built up the retail side of the business. |