How much is the Baumler brand worth?

Always concerned that those who accompany her to balls and formal occasions should be properly groomed and well presented, Fashionista has always had a soft spot for Baumler. This suavely not-quite-overunderstated menswear brand is ideal: her companions, while immaculately attired, will never detract from her own elegance but instead complement it. Given her affections, it's no surprise that she is keenly following the bidding for the German menswear brand, which ceased trading after it filed for insolvency earlier this month.

You have to begin with a 'B' to play this game it seems, since the two favourites to capture the brand are rival menswear specialists Berwin & Berwin and Baird Group (though Baumler's UK agent Jason Gerrard is also believed to have expressed an interest).

Though continental Europe is Baumler's stronghold, it has 100 stockists in the UK and a turnover of about EUR90m (£80m). An important factor in determining how much the business will fetch is whether the brand's new owner acquires it as a means of securing its UK goodwill or as a springboard for developing its mainland market.