Designers Guild collapses into administration with 93 jobs lost
Designers Guild has collapsed into administration after more than 50 years of trading, with 93 jobs lost
Founded in 1970 by Tricia Guild, the company designed and sold luxury furnishing fabrics, wallcoverings, upholstery and bed and bath collections from its flagship store on London’s King’s Road and its ecommerce site.
Subscribe to TRBRick Harrison and Howard Smith from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to Designers Guild on 24 September 2026.
The administrators said Designers Guild had faced trading challenges for several years. With a strong European customer base, it was left particularly exposed to the impact of Brexit and the war in Ukraine, both of which weighed heavily on sales while pushing up costs.
In response to the mounting financial pressure, the directors sold the Designers Guild brand and design archive to Dunelm in 2025, after which the company continued to trade under a licence agreement.
However, the administrators said Designers Guild faced ongoing constraints on working capital which, combined with industry-wide pressures on supply chain lead times, made it difficult to fulfil customer orders.
The business has now ceased to trade and 93 members of staff have been made redundant. The joint administrators have retained a small number of staff to help them carry out an orderly wind down of the business.
The administrators said: “The directors took the difficult decision to file for the appointment of administrators. With regret, 93 members of staff have been made redundant.”
Options are now being explored for the business and its assets, including any residual stock.
Rick Harrison, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said: “For over 50 years, Designers Guild Limited has been one of the UK’s most recognised and respected names in the world of interior design, so it’s tremendously sad that the business has not been able to overcome its recent challenges.
“As a matter of priority, we will be supporting those members of staff who have been impacted by insolvency, while we also explore options for the company’s remaining assets, including leftover stock.”
