EXCLUSIVE The maternity label loved by Princess Kate during all her pregnancies and a row over ditching of its classic 'regal look'
Four years after selling the business for £50million, founder Cecile Reinaud has claimed the brand has abandoned its British heritage.
Ms Reinaud, 51, accuses the firm of losing its way with a rebrand that ditched its 'regal purple' for what she described as a 'Scandinavian' look.
She opened Seraphine's first store in 2002 in Kensington, west London. It has since expanded into France and the US.
Seraphine sells products ranging from maternity jeans, leggings and dresses to nursing jumpers and breastfeeding covers.
The brand received huge attention worldwide when Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, wore one of its pieces in the first official pictures of Prince George in 2013.
The Jolene fuchsia dress sold out in two hours and she wore Seraphine outfits again in 2015 when pregnant with Charlotte and in 2018 while expecting Louis.
Other fans of the label include Myleene Klass, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Anne Hathaway and Kate's sister Pippa Middleton.
In 2021, the business was sold to Mayfair Equity Partners, but it has since struggled with falling sales. Seraphine's owners might have been hoping for a boost last week after a 'modernising' rebrand.
Instead, it provoked the backlash from Ms Reinaud, who wrote in a LinkedIn post: 'My original vision was to create clothes you'd want to wear even if you weren't pregnant.
'That guiding principle seems to have vanished now. Just yesterday, the brand unveiled a new logo that makes it resemble a Scandinavian label.
'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.'
Ms Reinaud also said she was 'devastated' by the ousting of Seraphine's creative director Chelsey Westwood, adding: 'Her immense talent was at the heart of the brand's success.
'Her creative vision enabled us to dress some of the world's most high-profile celebrities: including becoming the maternity brand of choice for the Duchess of Cambridge.'
A Mayfair Equity spokesman told the Mail yesterday: 'Last week was a hugely exciting moment for Seraphine, with the unveiling of its enhanced website and refreshed brand identity that incorporated consumer desire for a modernised look and feel.'
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