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Australian designer label Willow is set to shut up shop for good, with the brand's website issuing a "final sale", with products beeing offloaded for up to 80 per cent the original RRP. 

Founded by Kit Willow in 2003, the label became renowned for its tailoring and structured jackets and boasted celebrity fans including Miranda Kerr and Jessica Gomes.

A spokesperson from Unique Retailing, the brand's owner, said the decision to close the Willow brand was taken last year. 

"Operated as an incubator independent of APG & Co, Willow was used to test its potential within an evolving retail environment," the spokesperson said.

"Ultimately, it was determined that our time and resources were best directed toward other brands and divisions across the Group. The exit from two David Jones concessions has been completed seamlessly. Our online presence will shortly be complete."

This comes five years after the brand made a comeback after a series of ownership shakeups, relaunching in 2021 under Unique Retailing. 

In 2011, The Apparel Group (now APG & Co) purchased a controlling stake in the business and announced the departure of Willow (then named Kit Willow Podgornik) two years later.

The shakeup continued when it was placed for sale following a strategic review in 2016; however failed to secure a buyer and was closed.

Unique Retailing also manages globally recognised brands Vince and Theory through a local distribution model.

This also follows wrap-ups of other fashion brands in the same space, such as Sass & Bide under the Myer Group. That brand is expected to be relaunched soon, with at least one of its channels being online. 

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