On the record · Other
Claire's
Teen jewelry and accessories retailer that filed for bankruptcy in 2018 under Apollo-imposed debt. Restructured under Elliott Management
Also known as Claire's Stores
Research depth
Outcomes researched
Reviewed operating findings or a classified operating outcome are available.
Record updated Sept. 4, 2026
Current ownership
Current owner not established
This record does not identify a current owner. That absence is a gap in the record, not a conclusion about ownership.
1 ownership record has an unresolved current/former status.
Ownership and transaction history
Chronology from recorded ownership periods, transactions and reviewed outcome events. Event order does not imply causation.
Aug. 6, 2025
Bankruptcy filedR1
Recorded history
Date not recorded
What happened under and after ownership
Operating outcome
Operating through distress or restructuring
Filed Chapter 11 in 2018, closing 92 stores, and continued operating. Filed a second Chapter 11 in August 2025; stores stayed open through a sale process.
Ames Watson Capital bought the North American business and IP for $140 million in September 2025, closing 291 stores and keeping roughly 800 to 950 open.
- Founded
- 1961
- Peak headcount
- 18,100
- Sponsor at closure
- Apollo Global Management
- Cause
- Debt left at exit
- Newsweek · 2018 · 2018 bankruptcy filing, 92 stores closing
- Commercial Observer · 2025 · Ames Watson acquisition, store closure and retention counts
- Wikipedia · Claire's was founded in 1961 as Fashion Tress Industries, a wig retailer; peak employee count of 18,100 (2015); Elliott Investment Management and Monarch Altern
- History Oasis · Claire's was taken private by Apollo Global Management in a $3.1 billion 2007 leveraged buyout that loaded the retailer with roughly $2.5 billion of debt, which
Sources and evidence
Other recorded sources
Public provenance attached to an entity, ownership or bankruptcy record.
- R1PESP Bankruptcy Tracker 2025
PESP Bankruptcy Tracker 2025 · Bankruptcy source
Supports: Bankruptcy filing
What we do not know
These are gaps in the public record, not findings about the organization.
- No current public ownership assessment has been published.
Help improve this record
Firsthand experience, public sources and corrections can help close the gaps above.