Claire’s Accessories parent company has filed for bankruptcy which means it could be the end of an era for Gen-Z and Millenials – but it’s more than just the breakdown of bricks and mortar, and Niamh Kirk explains why
Claire’s has been a staple on the high street for many young girls growing up (Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
Claire’s Accessories, the purple glitter clad haven for any young teen looking to level up their hairclip, earrings or headband game, is under threat. If, like me, you hold the nostalgic feeling of walking into a Claire’s store close to your heart, the news that this go-to tween spot is at risk of closure is met with shock and horror.
The chain is facing an uncertain future on UK high streets after its US parent company filed for bankruptcy, but it’s not the first time this has happened. Back in 2018, Claire’s former parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after being unable to repay a loan.
It’s no secret many high street big names are struggling, but there may be a deeper meaning behind the Claire’s decline. For my 14-year-old self, Claire’s was the hottest store on the high street, you could buy anything from a bright eyeshadow, a glittery lip gloss and an obscenely coloured hairspray, to a cheeky ear piercing if you were able to drag your parent along to sign the papers.
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Chris Cramer, CEO of Claire’s, said: “This decision is difficult, but a necessary one.”(Image: UCG, UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The drama began all the way back in 2009 when Olly skipped his twin Ben’s wedding day in order to compete in the X Factor semi-final. Now the two brothers are completely estranged
Olly has made new comments on his ongoing feud with twin brother Ben(Image: mirror.co.uk)
Olly Murs has found a heartbreaking new perspective on his long-running feud with his twin brother since becoming a first-time father last year.
The singer – who is expecting his second child with wife Amelia Tank – famously fell out with his twin Ben when he missed his sibling’s wedding to compete in ‘The X Factor’ semi-finals in 2009.
And now Olly, 41, has admitted that since welcoming daughter Madison last year, he understands more about how his mother, Vicky-Lynn, must feel about his estrangement from twin Ben.
He told The Sunday Times Magazine: “Now I’m a parent I can relate more to my mum’s sadness that my twin brother, Ben, and I have been estranged since 2009, though I’ve got nothing but love and respect for him.” It follows reports of Victoria Beckham’s four-word comment to Geri Horner amid their Spice Girls ‘feud’.
READ MORE: Mark Wright warns Olly Murs ‘you’ve got to stop’ after huge transformation
Olly and his twin brother Ben have been feuding since 2009(Image: Collect Unknown)
Olly rarely speaks about the siblings’ fallout. The feud between the twins kicked off in 2009 when Olly swerved Ben’s wedding – and best man duties – to compete in The X Factor semi-final, prompting Ben to brand the singer a “self-obsessed sell out”.
“Our family was torn apart because of X Factor,” he raged to the Sunday People in 2009. “It was clear that people like Simon Cowell were more important to him than me.”
Olly confirmed his no-show at the wedding on The Voice, telling Will.i.am: “I was on X Factor and I couldn’t make his wedding because I was on the show.” Asked where his brother lives, he admitted: “I have no idea.”
Olly did previously claim that his relationship with Ben had been strained long before his appearance on the ITV talent show and accused his brother of using the wedding as an “excuse”.
“I don’t speak to my twin brother and that’s been extremely difficult. Long before X Factor there were problems between Ben and his girlfriend and our family,” he previously told the Sunday Times Magazine, adding: “His wedding was his excuse for not having me in his life anymore… I don’t think he ever liked us as a family.”
Olly later lifted the lid on the rift with his brother while he was working on The Voice, admitting: “We had a big argument.”
Olly with mum Vicky-Lynn(Image: Internet Unknown)
Fighting back tears, he continued: “I feel like the next time I am going to see him is going to be at the worst place to see someone. It will be at someone’s (funeral) that we lose in the family. I don’t want that to be the case. I miss having my twin with me… This bond as a twin, it was something I was proud about and I still am.”
It’s not only Olly who has no contact with Ben; he also cut ties with their parents in the wake of the fallout, claiming they had been changed by ‘fame and greed’. He was so keen to distance himself that he even took his wife Amy’s surname, Hart, and slammed his mum and dad for ‘favouring’ his brother.
Ben told the Sunday People: “My parents wanted this bright, shiny Olly with the money who can give them the VIP lifestyle. They liked hanging around with Simon Cowell , or going to Bon Jovi concerts – they loved their VIP selfies. I’m not interested in anything like that, I have a lovely life with my wife and kids. I’ve worked hard, been to university and got a degree, I’ve never wanted anything from Olly.”
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In the midst of the fall-out, Olly and Ben’s mum, Vicky, said the trauma had left her too sick to work, and caused such serious physical symptoms she thought she had multiple sclerosis.
“It was such a shock it made me ill. I even thought I had MS – I had to use a walking stick because my legs were so weak. I also couldn’t work. I was on the verge of a breakdown,” she previously told the Sunday Times Magazine.
