Claire's, also known as Claire's Accessories, was once a rite of passage for every teenage girl. No outfit for a night out (or even some nights in) was complete without a little something from Claire's to set it off. 'Accessories' under Claire's definition could include anything from belts to bracelets to earrings; including having your ears pierced so you could wear the rings. It set up shop in 1961 and had been successful ever since; until around early 2017.
The cause of its struggles is the same old story; increased competition, inability to drop prices as low as internet retailers, and downturn in customers visiting high street stores. The inevitable happened in March 2018 when Claire's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an attempt to deal with its uncontrolled debts, which by that point were in excess of $1.9bn. Two months later it had shut down 130 stores and was looking for a buyer.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.