Style Some people flaunt their wealth, others like to hide it.In Grazia’s first-ever rich list, Emily Chantiri and Annabelle McGregor reveal the highest earners in Aussie fashion and beauty 1 2 3 $367M Rich$874M $562M NAOMI MILGROM, GORDON PASPALEY FAMILY SUSSAN MERCHANT, The fortunes of the family CEO to one of Australia’s FORMERLY OF began when the late Nicholas largest privately-owned BILLABONG Paspaley fled Greece after retailers, the Sussan Group, When Gordon Merchant WW1 and started a pearling Naomi Milgrom is the 4 struggled to find comfortable business in the Northern country’s fifth-wealthiest list M board shorts, he decided to Territory in 1932. woman with an estimated $186.5 make his own. He formed the Today, Paspaley Pearls are worth of $367 million. KARIN ADCOCK, Pandora as a fashion brand Billabong surfwear company in one of the world’s largest pearl Milgrom joined the company PANDORA that follows fashion trends.” 1973 with his former wife Rena, producers and his children run in 1988 as strategic planning Danish jewellery brand The company’s next step is taking the brand to the US the business operations. His manager and bought the group Pandora is sold in more than to expand into mix-and-match in the early 80s. son Nicholas (pictured) is the from her family in 2003. She 40 countries and, despite watches with interchangeable The label now has a $1.7 executive chairman and his has 100 per cent equity in the only launching here in 2004, accessories. “We have a billion global annual turnover. It’s daughters Marilynne Paspaley Sussan, Suzanne Grae and Australia is its third-largest new range of watches, with sold in more than 100 countries, and Roslynne Bracher look Sportsgirl retail chain (bought sales territory. Karin Adcock straps ranging from elegant with the US market accounting after the company’s property in 1999), meaning she controls is the woman behind this and diamond-encrusted to for half its yearly sales. investment portfolio, including more than 520 retail outlets. phenomenal success story. traditional leather,” says Adcock. Merchant is now retired and spends most of his time at his the $45 million Kimberley Milgrom’s property portfolio “One of the reasons our The company experienced $12 million beachside mansion Grande resort in Kununurra. includes a $4.75 million brand is so popular is because 97 per cent growth in sales in Angourie, in northern NSW. BRW magazine estimates Byron Bay property and it allows individuals to express during the 2008-2009 financial He is estimated to be worth the family to be worth a Toorak home she purchased and create their own look,” year, with a turnover of $874 million. $562 million. for $12.5 million. she says. “We don’t see $186.5 million. u RICH LIST 5 $169M DOUG WARBRICK, Kay, now generates in excess RIP CURL of $400 million turnover In 1969, in the no-frills globally, with the Australian Victorian seaside surf town market alone generating of Torquay, Doug “Claw” $100 million in sales a year. Warbrick and Brian “Sing In recent years, Warbrick Ding” Singer created Rip Curl. has strayed into new territory, They originally focused on launching a $20 million producing surfboards for the property development on local waves but soon moved the Gold Coast. into making innovative BRW magazine estimates wetsuit prototypes. Warbrick to be worth Rip Curl is the oldest $169 million alone, while surfwear retailer and, Singer is pursuing other according to CEO Stephen business interests. brand, he believes it was imperative to first concentrate on building his brand locally. “The international part of the business becomes something you do as an 6 7 8 9 addition to the growth of your M M M M business and is not the vital $158 $120 $92 $90 part,” he says. “I’m based in LA GAZAL FAMILY ELLE MACPHERSON THE COWLEY NAPOLEON and I work on my Australian Calvin Klein Underwear, The model is as well known FAMILY, PERDIS market every night of the Lovable and Trent Nathan are for her business acumen as R.M. WILLIAMS The LA-based Greek-Australian week. The Australian consumer just some of the brands owned she is for being “The Body”. In 1932, strapped-for-cash makeup dynamo opened is truly international and global by the Gazal Corporation, one In 1989, she created the swagman turned entrepreneur his first concept store in herself – and she appreciates of Australia’s largest publicly Elle Macpherson Intimates R.M. Williams began a small 1995 in the Sydney suburb home-grown talent.” listed apparel groups. brand with Bendon. At factory in his father’s back of Paddington. His product vision is a cross The late Joe Gazal founded the time it was considered shed in Adelaide, producing Napoleon Perdis cosmetics between European glamour the company in 1958 and an unusual move, especially riding boots, saddles and are now stocked in 4500 meets natural Australian it’s now run by his sons: as she asked to take a outback wear. outlets worldwide, with 59 freshness: “My beauty is across CEO and managing director percentage of profits rather Today, his legacy lives on concept stores within Australia all demographics and income; Michael (pictured); executive than an up-front fee. under the ownership of the and New Zealand. In 2008, from Geelong and Penrith to director David, and retail Today the label is stocked Cowley family, with revenue Perdis also successfully Double Bay and South Yarra.” manager Richard. in more than 500 stores, of $2.5 million in 2008-2009. launched a diffusion line Perdis has an estimated The family holds a 65 per including Saks Fifth Avenue. The brand is also extended called NP Set, in Target in worth of $90 million. cent stake in the company, BRW magazine estimates by the country lifestyle Australia and the US. What’s next? A focus which acquired a turnover of Macpherson’s net worth magazine Outback, by Even though Perdis has on high-tech ways of $243.5 million in 2008-2009. as $120 million. R.M. Williams Publishing. created an international applying makeup. 889 Seafolly founder Peter (left) and his son and managing director Anthony 11 $55M PETER ALEXANDER “Peter Alexander was He’s the king of pyjamas, a direct mail and internet leading the pack in his field of order company and although expertise – the bedroom. it was going fantastically well, Peter Alexander started I must say, having a bricks and his company in 1987, finding mortar store really established 10 a niche in the market for who and what the brand M mail-order sleepwear. Comfort, was about,” he says. “It was $75 he proclaimed, was “the an instant success and such THE HALAS ultimate luxury”. a proud moment for me.” FAMILY, In early 2000 his company The company currently SEAFOLLY turned over $6 million and he generates an annual revenue The Seafolly swimwear felt he’d stretched the brand of $55 million under the label was founded by to its limits, so he made the banner of The Just Group, husband and wife team decision to sell the brand with approximately $11 million Peter and Yvonne Halas to The Just Group, although from internet sales. in 1975. The brand is now staying on as general manager. Aside from seeing more internationally established “I love what I do but I always gorgeous knitwear in the day and Peter Halas says the want to do more with my collections, Alexander’s forecast label came into its own in brand,” he says. “I’ll never stand for the future is simple. 1998, when they decided still and rest on my name.” “I am planning to continue to focus solely on the Alexander believes his turning to bring a little happiness Seafolly brand. point came in 2004 when the and a smile to my customers’ “My son Anthony bought first retail store opened. lives,” he says. 50 per cent of the shares and we shut down any other enterprise that 12 didn’t enhance Seafolly the Sue Ismiel with her M brand,” he says. “We sold daughters Nadine $50 the swimwear label Jets (left) and Natalie SUE ISMIEL, NAD’S and shut down the active- After creating a natural wear brand Bodypaint.” hair-removal product by Seafolly’s swimwear experimenting in her kitchen, line is currently stocked Sue Ismiel founded Nad’s in in boutiques across 1992. The company flourished the country as well as into an international success international department and, in 2005, Ismiel decided stores such as Britain’s to step down from her role Harvey Nichols. as CEO to take some time “It’s always summer out, and the group changed somewhere in Australia, its name to LifeSource. so we have a fantastic In 2006, Ismiel returned opportunity to sell our to the struggling company swimwear 12 months of as CEO and her daughters the year,” says Halas. Nadine, Natalie and Naomi are Seafolly has an annual also involved in the business. turnover of approximately Nad’s is aiming for $75 million. a turnover of $50 million in the 2009-10 financial year. u www.grazia.com.au 890 RICH LIST 16 $40M BRUNO SCHIAVI, JUPI CORPORATION Inspired by his own trips to the gym, Bruno Schiavi 13 (pictured below) came up 45M with the simple idea of $ a sock with a pocket for CARLA ZAMPATTI loose change and keys. Italian-born Carla Zampatti After 17 rejections from launched her iconic Australian Australian retailers, he got brand in 1965 – it’s now a his big break in 1995 when fashion powerhouse with an US retail giant Walmart annual turnover of $25 million.