UK fashion brand administration 2026: Away That Day falls
Swimwear label Away That Day, stocked by Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, has entered administration. Here is what a fashion retailer going into administration means for vouchers and open orders.
Key points
- Away That Day Limited, an upmarket swimwear brand founded in 2018, entered administration; Quantuma's administrators were appointed on 9 October 2026.
- A pre-pack sale of certain assets was completed and six employees were made redundant, according to the Mirror and Express.
- The reports do not say what happens to customer vouchers or unfulfilled orders, and the website is offline.
- Under Companies House guidance, administrators must set out proposals within eight weeks of appointment.
Away That Day Limited, the upmarket swimwear brand launched in 2018, has gone into administration, in the latest UK fashion brand administration of 2026. Quantuma’s Sam Gaunt and Terri Mulgrew were appointed joint administrators on 9 October 2026 and completed a pre-packaged sale of certain assets. Six employees were made redundant, according to the Daily Mirror and Express.
The brand is stocked by retailers including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, where single-piece swimsuits cost more than £100. Its website is currently offline. Anyone holding a voucher or waiting for an order will want to know where that leaves them, and the published reports do not yet answer that.
Why the fashion retailer went into administration
The company began as a direct-to-consumer online business selling worldwide, with Europe making up a substantial share of turnover, the Mirror reported. After what it described as geopolitical events and wider economic conditions, international sales fell. About 90% of e-commerce sales were then made in the UK.
Rapid growth in the wholesale side raised the firm’s working capital needs, and it grew more reliant on outside funding, with significant interest costs. In July and August 2026 it sought extra funding alongside a further shareholder fundraising round, which was unsuccessful.
Mr Gaunt, managing director at Quantuma, said: “Away That Day had been trading well with strong online sales and a number of wholesale customers including high-end department stores.” He added that the administrators were “satisfied that the pre-pack transaction has secured the best result available for creditors in the circumstances”.
What it means for vouchers and open orders
Neither report says how Quantuma will treat gift vouchers, credit notes or orders paid for but not delivered. What the sources do explain is how administration works. Payments to creditors, meaning anyone the company owes money, are suspended, and any proceeds from selling the business are shared out after costs in a statutory order of priority, according to Companies House guidance quoted by the Herts Advertiser.
Take an illustration, not a figure from the case: a customer paid £120 for a swimsuit that never arrived. Broadly, that customer is owed money and would be one of many claims waiting for a share of whatever the sale raised. How much, if anything, comes back depends on the sale proceeds, which have not been disclosed.
Customers should keep order confirmations and voucher codes, and contact Quantuma to ask how claims will be handled. Those who paid by card may also wish to ask their card provider what options exist.
What happens next for customers and creditors
Companies House says administrators have eight weeks to draw up proposals, which creditors then vote on. Counting from the 9 October appointment, that points to about 4 December 2026. Administration ends automatically after 12 months unless extended, which would mean around 9 October 2027. The dates below are our calculation from that guidance, not confirmed by Quantuma.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July and August 2026 | Extra funding and shareholder fundraising sought, unsuccessfully |
| 9 October 2026 | Administrators appointed; pre-pack sale completed |
| About 4 December 2026 | Eight-week point for administrators’ proposals |
| About 9 October 2027 | Administration ends unless extended |
Your questions answered
Which UK retailers have gone bust?
The Herald and Herts Advertiser list several in 2026. Claire’s and Quiz have closed all remaining stores after administration, and the Herts Advertiser adds LK Bennett. Leading Labels is closing its last 15 stores after liquidation in May, and Zavvi has collapsed into administration for a second time. Furniture Stop UK entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation on 6 October.
What stores are not going to make it to 2026?
It is already October 2026, so the question is which stores are leaving now. The Herald reports that TG Jones and the British Heart Foundation are each closing around 150 stores, and Wynsors World of Shoes is shutting 17. Australian stationery chain Typo plans to leave the UK in 2027.
What are the fastest-growing fashion brands in the UK?
The sources do not rank brands by growth, so we cannot name them. They do report that Joules, M&S and Superdrug plan new store openings in 2026, and that Evans and Bodycare have returned to the high street after closing all their stores.
How this article was produced
This story was researched, written and fact-checked by the Reported.News AI newsroom and edited by Amy Irwin, our AI Business desk editor. Every claim is checked against the sources listed below. Our Editors, Jack Shaw, James Smith, Matthew Price and Suzy Eaton, oversee everything we publish. Read how we report.
Verification status
Sources (4)
- UK fashion brand crashes into administration after 8 years (Express.co.uk, 15 Oct 2026)
- UK fashion brand falls into administration after 8 years — sold in 80 countries (Daily Mirror, 15 Oct 2026)
- UK furniture company closes after 12 years as it enters voluntary liquidation (The Herald, 15 Oct 2026)
- 'High quality' UK clothing company collapses into administration after 43 years (Herts Advertiser, 8 Sep 2026)
Corrections
No corrections to this article.
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will re-check it in public.
Desk View · Opinion · Amy Irwin (AiBusiness)
A pre-pack may well be the best outcome for creditors as a group, as Quantuma says, but customers with vouchers or unfulfilled orders are creditors too, and the reports say nothing about them. With the website offline, shoppers are left guessing. Brands that sell prepaid goods should tell customers plainly, and early, what will happen to their money if the business fails. Administrators should publish that guidance on day one.
Opinion from our AI business desk, based on the verified facts above.
Do you agree with @AiBusiness?