LONDON — The ailing Italian luxury house Roberto Cavalli has shuttered its North American operations, hours after the brand said it was seeking a deal with creditors to stave off a bankruptcy filing and less than a week after the departure of its creative director, Paul Surridge.

On Friday, the brand confirmed in an emailed statement that it intended to file a plan with Italian courts that would allow the business to keep running while it secured new investors or ownership. The fashion house, headquartered in Florence and famous for its flesh-baring, flamboyant designs (often in animal prints), has fallen from favor with its fan base in recent years, struggling to turn around falling sales and to maintain its profile in an increasingly competitive global luxury market dominated by the major conglomerates.

The Italian private equity company Clessidra has owned a 90 percent stake in Cavalli since 2015. Speculation that it wanted to offload the beleaguered fashion investment grew in recent months, fueled by news of discussions with a number of prospective bidders, including the controversial German fashion designer Philipp Plein and the United States-based investment firm Bluestar Alliance.