Alice McCall appoints administrator as label falls victim to COVID-19 - Sydney Morning Herald

"Due to the unprecedented effects that COVID-19 has had on our economy, as well as some unsustainable bricks and mortar rental obligations, I have had to make a necessary decision to edit down my business, with the objective of building a more sustainable business model for the future," she said.

McCall thanked her staff and customers for their support.

"There is nothing that fuels me more than a customer sharing their experience of a meaningful memory that they have lived whilst wearing an 'Alice' garment. This truly is what motivates me to do what I do."

SVPartners' Ian Purchas said McCall had acted as a "responsible director with a view to continuing the business, albeit restructured to allow its stronger sales channels to continue".

"Unfortunately that will require the closure of a number of its stores, and the redundancy of some employees," he said.

McCall launched the brand at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in 2004. In 2009, she launched an online store and in recent years has focused on expanding her business into overseas markets, specifically China.

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In September, McCall launched a dedicated e-commerce site in China after becoming the first Australian brand with a physical store in the country, which she opened with a local franchise partner in Dalian, in north-east China, in 2016. The store has since closed.

In June, McCall told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that she would experiment with pre-orders as a way of controlling costs in the wake of COVID-19 and the cancellation of this year's fashion week in Sydney.

On Monday, McCall, who has two daughters, launched her first foray into childrenswear in a capsule collection created for chain retailer Cotton On Kids.

Alice McCall joins several other retail businesses to enter voluntary administration in the past 12 months, including Seafolly, kikki.K, Jeanswest and Bardot.

It is anticipated that the combined long tail of the COVID-induced recession and the end of government support such as JobKeeper could lead to the collapse of more brands well into 2021.

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