Is Sadie's label in trouble?

Her clothes have been modelled by friends such as Kate Moss and Leah Wood and appeared in the pages of glossy magazines.

But it seems the sparkle of fame is failing to rub off on Sadie Frost's fashion label FrostFrench.

Accounts just lodged with Companies House show the company owes nearly £500,000 and its assets total only £94,000.

Frost, 41, and her childhood friend and fellow actress Jemima French, established the label from a base in Highgate in 1999. It began selling saucy underwear, including vanilla-scented knickers, but has expanded to include a full range of clothes, including Floozie, an underwear line sold by Debenhams.

Its trademark style is girly but sexy, featuring fabrics such as chiffon and silk. Prices range from £10 for a pair of Floozie knickers to £118 for denim shorts while a floaty tea dress costs upwards of £300.

The FrostFrench collections have been largely well received by fashion writers. But critics say the "dry clean only" nature of the clothes along with the prices make them less attractive to many.

They have also been described as beautifully cut but on the small side - and even shoddily stitched in places.

The company's latest accounts, which relate to the financial year that ended in March last year, compare unfavourably with its figures for 2003 when FrostFrench owed £342,000 but boasted assets worth £229,550.

Stock - or unsold clothing - adds up to £30,000 and fixed assets such as equipment is worth just £4,232. The company is owed £59,806 but has debts of its own totalling £482,140, making its net liabilities £392,334.

One business commentator said: "They're pretty pitiful figures, to be honest. The company is basically worth nothing in asset terms. You could argue that its biggest asset is its name."

As well as having fans among their Primrose Hill circle of famous friends, Frost and French have pulled the stops out to market the label.

They designed limited-edition chocolate bar wrappers and the interior of a Peugeot in a stunt for London Fashion Week. Frost recently claimed she and French had secured an investor to fund plans to open a string of shops and launch an accessories range.