Closure confirmed of fashion business featured on TV's Dragon's Den

A FASHION business that once dazzled on BBC's 'Dragons Den' with a £100,000 investment is shutting up shop, just over a year later.

- BY JON MACPHERSON, JAMIE GREER

The company, Luxe Collective, was launched by siblings Ben and Joe Gallagher in 2018 and carved a niche for itself by trading in pre-owned luxury items. Last week, a series of TikTok posts purportedly from ex-employees revealed mass redundancies at the firm.

Ben has now confirmed the closure of Luxe Collective on the brand’s social media pages. He cited a break-in at the company’s Ormskirk warehouse in July last year as a significant factor in the decision, admitting he made subsequent choices that he now regrets.

He assured customers that their queries about orders would be addressed in due course. In a statement, Ben said: “Luxe Collective is closing down. I never thought I'd have to say this but the company I created seven years ago at just 18 years old will no longer exist.

“After a year-long fight after we were broken into last year, in which both me and my brother were doing all we could just to get us through to the next day, we are no longer able to continue.

“The last year has been the most painful in my life and to be truly honest, whilst I’m talking to you now, I’m overwhelmed with relief - I've never been so mentally and physically drained, stressed and anxious.

“Fighting daily just to keep the lights on has really taken a lot out of us. We have tried every single avenue we possibly could to carry on - but we've finally been defeated.

“It’s easy for me to sit here and say the only reason as to why we've failed is the robbery.

“But that’s not entirely true.