Historic UK fashion brand enters liquidation and staff made redundant

A long-established Nottingham business has gone into liquidation and laid off staff after ceasing operations. Lingerie manufacturer Gossard, which was established in 1901 and famously brought the Wonderbra to the UK during the 1960s, entered liquidation on May 14.

Liquidators from CFS Restructuring will now dispose of the assets belonging to Gossard Limited before shutting down the company permanently, which had been operating from The Courtaulds Building on Haydn Road in Sherwood. “Please be advised that Gossard Limited has officially ceased trading and entered liquidation effective May 14, 2026,” a statement on its website reads. This appointment relates solely to the UK entity trading as Gossard.

“Gossard’s European operations and affiliated entities outside the UK are continuing to operate as normal and are not subject to these liquidation proceedings. We would like to thank our customers, partners, and employees for their support over the years.”

Gossard had positioned itself as a heritage lingerie brand offering a variety of products from bralets to plunge bras.

The company had accumulated substantial debts to HMRC and suppliers when it went into liquidation, according to documents submitted to Companies House by its liquidators.

While it held approximately £642,993 worth of stock, this was only anticipated to generate around £17,400 during the liquidators’ sale.

This fell drastically short of what was needed to settle claims from 25 suppliers totalling £2,482,763, alongside a £346,191 demand from HMRC.

Three former members of staff at the firm also lodged claims totalling £77,910, according to Companies House records.

The statement of affairs produced by liquidators of the insolvent city firm — previously owned by a Hong Kong-based parent company — revealed an overall likely shortfall of £2,813,604 in repaying creditors.

Sister company Embody (Brands) Limited, a hosiery retailer based in the same Sherwood building, also entered liquidation on May 14, leaving suppliers and employees owed hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Liquidators noted the business held £947,257 worth of stock, though this was anticipated to fetch just £35,300 upon sale.

Embody was expected to have roughly £230,000 worth of assets available for disposal, yet this was deemed insufficient to meet an HMRC claim of £252,583, supplier claims of £634,058, and claims from 15 members of staff totalling £358,565.

CFS Restructuring noted in its statement of affairs that Embody’s creditors faced a predicted shortfall of £1,025,117.

Pretty Polly Limited, another connected company also headquartered at The Courtaulds Building, has likewise entered liquidation.

“Please be advised that Pretty Polly has officially ceased trading and entered liquidation effective May 14, 2026,” read a notice published on its website. We would like to thank our customers, partners, and employees for their support over the years.”

Express.co.uk has contacted Gossard for comment