London - Hardy Amies, the fashion house which "dressed" Queen Elizabeth II for more than half a century, announced Friday that it had filed for administration after funding talks failed.

The firm, founded in 1946 by the late (Sir) Hardy Amies, who died in 2003, had been suffering losses for several years and warned in June that poor womenswear sales would see losses accelerate in the first half of this year and would continue into 2009.

The group, which still has its headquarters in Savile Row, the London street famous for bespoke tailoring, has a number of outlets across Britain and licences around the globe.

The fashion house, which has dressed the queen since 1951, expanded into a global brand for classic English male and female fashion with designs that eschewed catwalk theatrics and never pandered to trends.

"Until very recently the board was hopeful that funding would be received. The position remains unclear and therefore it is with regret that the directors have taken the decision that the company should file for administration," a statement said Friday. (dpa)