Maternity fashion label Seraphine is currently facing significant controversy as its founder, Cecile Reinaud, voices strong criticism regarding the brand’s recent rebranding efforts and direction. This turmoil comes four years after Reinaud sold the company for £50 million, raising concerns about the preservation of its British heritage.

Seraphine, which opened its first store in Kensington, west London, in 2002, has since expanded its reach into France and the United States. The brand is known for offering a wide range of maternity clothing, including jeans, leggings, dresses, nursing jumpers, and breastfeeding covers. It gained international fame when Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, wore the brand’s pieces shortly after the birth of Prince George in 2013. The specific style worn, a Jolene fuchsia dress, sold out within two hours and was featured again during her pregnancies with Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018. Other notable celebrities who have been seen donning Seraphine attire include Myleene Klass, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Anne Hathaway, and Pippa Middleton.

However, Reinaud is now asserting that the company has strayed from its roots, stating in a recent LinkedIn post that the brand’s new aesthetic has lost its distinctive British flair. She remarked, “My original vision was to create clothes you’d want to wear even if you weren’t pregnant,” adding that this principle seems to have vanished. The former founder specifically lamented the removal of the brand’s signature ‘regal purple’ and the introduction of a design that she described as resembling a ‘Scandinavian’ style.

Ms Reinaud expressed her distress over the recent ousting of the brand’s creative director, Chelsey Westwood, saying her talent was integral to Seraphine’s success, particularly in dressing high-profile clients like the Duchess of Cambridge. She articulated her feelings in the LinkedIn post, stating, “Why abandon our unique British heritage and signature regal purple? Seraphine was once a proud example of British fashion entrepreneurship, recipient of two Queen’s Awards; now, it seems to have lost its recognisable identity.”

A spokesperson for Mayfair Equity Partners, the current owners of Seraphine, responded to the backlash, stating that recent changes, including the unveiling of a new logo and an enhanced website, were designed to address consumer desires for a more modern look and feel. The spokesperson described last week as “a hugely exciting moment for Seraphine.”

As the company navigates this public dispute, it remains to be seen how it will reconcile its identity with the expectations of its founder and loyal customer base, as well as its future prospects in the competitive maternity fashion market.

Source: Noah Wire Services