Consortium mulls Jaeger bid, wants Tillman to run it

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Apr 23, 2017

Former Jaeger owner Harold Tillman could still end up back in charge of the brand it seems as news emerges that a group of its suppliers and creditors are mulling a bid and want Tillman at the helm.

The ex-owner had been interested in buying back the 133-year-old company that collapsed this month after owner Better Capital filed to find a buyer at the price it wanted. It is now being run by administrators AlixPartners and closing down sales at a number of stores have already started.

The London Evening Standard reported that the consortium of suppliers and creditor includes Portuguese textiles manufacturer Calvelex, which is owed a substantial sum following the company’s administration filing.

Calvelex’s owner César Araújo said the group has asked Tillman to lead the brand’s revival plan if their bid wins them the company and that they believe the brand can become strong again.

Tillman owned Jaeger from 2003 to 2012 and was in charge when it was at its strongest from a creative viewpoint. Its autumn/winter 2008 Jaeger London collection was shown at London Fashion Week and shocked the audience with its fashion forward-but-commercial offer, a feat it also achieved with the spring/summer 2009 collection.

A move to add a more youthful edge to the Jaeger masterbrand also came with the launch of the Jaeger Boutique label, while introductions like the Beatrix Ong label into its stores and several heritage initiatives also added extra headline appeal that won the retailer plenty of press coverage.

But under Better Capital, Jaeger returned to a more classic profile and when this failed to reignite sales, the company depended heavily on markdowns to shift inventory as customers perceived a dip in quality.