Celtic & Co owner acquires ethical fashion Frugi

The assets and intellectual property of Frugi, an ethical childrenswear company, have been acquired by Refined Brands, the parent company of Cornwall-based fashion label Celtic & Co.

It comes after PwC was chosen to serve as the Cut4Cloth Limited company’s administrators.

Another business with a base in Cornwall, Frugi, will move its staff and operations to the local Refined Brands office in Indian Queens, Cornwall. Orders placed through the website will soon restart once the stock has been moved to its new location.

Frugi, which was founded in 2004 and has since developed a solid reputation for eco-friendly childrenswear, will get investment from Refined Brands and will be relaunched. The company uses organic cotton throughout its collection and outerwear made from recycled plastic bottles.

James Williams, Group Managing Director of Refined Brands, added that he is happy to be able to ensure the future of this pioneering ethical childrenswear company and save a significant number of local jobs in Cornwall. They are thrilled that Frugi has decided to join their family of brands. They have long been fans of the Frugi brand and think their commitment to sustainability and strong ethical standards is very similar to their own.

Frugi’s executive chair, Margaret McDonald, said that he wants to congratulate the team at Refined Brands for stepping forward to buy Frugi in difficult circumstances. It is a fantastic illustration of two Cornish sustainable brands working together in the future. I have no doubt that Frugi will become the top brand of organic children’s clothing in Europe.

Jennifer Bolton, Head of Design and Brand at Frugi, said that they’re energized to be joining a family of pioneering companies with aligned values and a shared goal for a more sustainable approach to product design and manufacture.

In partnership with Kvika Bank and Souter Investments, a group of devoted retailers led by Ben Barnett, Michael Rahamim, and Lee Harlow (collectively: Phase Eight, Whistles, Hobbs, All Good Things, Ratsey and Lapthorn, JJill Inc, Kaporal, Refined Networks, and OneStock) established Refined Brands in February 2021 as their investment vehicle.

In collaboration with the co-founders of the ethical brand, Nick and Kath Whitworth, Refined Brands made its first investment in Celtic & Co.

The goal of Refined Brands is to create a small portfolio of British fashion companies with “sustainability at their core” and a common consumer appeal.