A store display at SSENCE Montréal. In an internal message Thursday, the retailer's CEO told employees it plans to file for creditor protection.

Online high-end design fashion retailer SSENSE plans to file for protection from creditors imminently after its lenders pushed for the sale of the company.

Founder and chief executive officer Rami Atallah said in an internal message to his 1,000-plus employees Thursday that the Montreal company, legally known as Atallah Group Inc., plans to file for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act this week “to protect the company, keep control of our assets and operations, and fight for the future of the company.”

The move is an attempt to counter a rival move by its unidentified primary lender, which Mr. Atallah told employees has mo

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