29th July 2009
If you like good clothes you will know the name of Douglas Hayward for there are few people in the country – and further afield – who have not seen his work. Hayward’s client list has included legendary names such as Lord Olivier, Sir Michael Caine, Richard Burton, Sammy Davis Jr and Clint Eastwood – to name a few.
Douglas trained as a tailor’s apprentice before starting his first job, close to the BBC Centre in London. In 1966, he opened Douglas Hayward Limited in Mount Street, Mayfair, close to Savile Row. Over the next 40 years, he dressed some of the best-known names in the entertainment world and on his death in 2008 his daughter Polly took over the running of the business. 
With much interest from potential buyers, Douglas Hayward Limited approached Devonshire Corporate Finance Limited about selling the company. To protect the business from creditors and to effect a sale, Douglas Hayward Limited was put into administration. DCFL worked with a corporate recovery team to market the company and subsequently received an unprecedented 50 expressions of interest and 7 offers for the business.
“The interest we received in Douglas Hayward Limited was no surprise given its history and reputation as a high-quality business,” says Marc Fecher of DCFL.
“The sale was a good example of a traditional insolvency. I was appointed administrator and traded the business while it was marketed for sale, preserving all jobs and culminating in a sale on an arm’s length basis to a third party, Mount Street Tailors.
“The result is a refreshing new start for Douglas Hayward, building on the traditions of tailoring excellence established by Doug Hayward over 40 years ago,” says Marc. “Those loyal customers who have shopped at Douglas Hayward can continue to do so for many years to come. Polly is delighted that her father’s good name will live on.”
