Chrome Hearts Lays Off Most U.S. Retail Staff

Chrome Hearts, even with its luxe swashbuckling persona, is facing the economic realities of the coronavirus. The Los Angeles-based luxury brand, known best for eccentric biker-themed jewelry and accessories favored by a long list of major celebrities, has permanently laid off 100 employees in the U.S., WWD has learned. The layoffs are thought to affect the majority of its retail employees in America.  Sources recently noted that the ongoing closures of all “nonessential” retail stores in North America and Europe, where the company has nine and four stores, respectively, were undoubtedly affecting the brand financially — it has no online business to speak of. Chrome Hearts last week filed a required notice with the State of California disclosing the layoffs and categorizing them as “permanent.” Nearly all other companies that have filed worker layoff notices, including a number of retailers, have categorized them as “temporary.” A spokeswoman for the company said the brand does plan to reopen the stores, but, as with other businesses, it is unclear when exactly that will happen. “While the retail landscape is challenging at this time, we have full intentions to reopen all of our stores that have been impacted,” she said. “Obviously, we’re all standing by to hear

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