Soda Shades: Sunglasses brand once part-owned by Steph Claire Smith collapses

Soda Shades, the buzzy eyewear label once part-owned by entrepreneur Steph Claire Smith and husband Josh Miller, has entered voluntary administration.

In a statement released Thursday morning, KordaMentha Restructuring confirmed the brand had secured its services to oversee the restructuring process.

The brand, which reportedly boasted more than 5000 customer expressions of interest before its 2018 launch, has become another victim of supply chain disruptions, says Rahul Goyal, one of two voluntary administrators now overseeing the brand.

Goyal voiced his hopes of selling Soda Shades as a going concern, with core stock, incoming items, and marketing material available for use by the brand’s new owner.

Also included in the sale is Soda Shades’ considerable social media profile.

The brand currently counts almost 50,000 followers on the platform, with its last post arriving on June 24 this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca5zrwchGN_/

The brand’s website is currently in password-only mode, although a number of models are still available for sale on The Iconic.

Any company hoping to acquire Soda Shades would be able to take advantage of sales in the lead-up to the Australian summer, KordaMentha Restructuring says, reflecting an appetite to find a new buyer in the very near future.

“We expect there will be a high level of interest in purchasing such a fresh label. We have quality stock on hand, marketing ready to roll out, and a significant social media following,” Goyal said.

“This is a great opportunity for any interested buyer,” he added.

Steph Claire Smith, known for her co-leadership of health and wellness brand Keep It Cleaner, and Miller stepped away from the Soda Shades brand in late 2021 after the birth of their child Harvey.

“We felt it was time to step away and keep more time aside for our little man,” she said at the time.

SmartCompany has contacted the administrator’s representatives for comment.

More to come.