Australian clothing entrepreneur launches ranges with Janet Jackson and Brett Lee

Clothing entrepreneur Bruno Schiavi, whose fortune is valued at about $19 million, has launched a new range of lingerie with American pop princess Janet Jackson.

Clothing entrepreneur Bruno Schiavi, whose fortune is valued at about $19 million, has launched a new range of lingerie with American pop princess Janet Jackson.

Schiavi, who is 36-years-old, has built his business Jupi Corp through a series of tie-ups with celebrities, including a sleepwear range with singer Delta Goodrem, a range of homewares and bed linen with Priscilla Presley and a range of body-slimming “shapewear” with celebrity plastic surgeon Robert Rey.

The lingerie range with Jackson will be sold under the brand Pleasure Principle and is expected to hit department stores in the US in November, with Australia, Japan and Europe to follow.

“In the past it was very taboo for an artist to do something other than endorse a soft drink – it’s like you were selling out if you were to go beyond that,” Jackson told NEWS.com.au.

“But now it’s like the door is open and it’s OK to venture out into other things and beyond, that I have to be passionate about it in order to do it. I love lingerie,” she said, “so when the idea came about with Bruno, I said, ‘now that’s something’.”

Schiavi told reporters at the launch that he expects to expand into other types of products with Jackson. “This is just the start of our brand. We’ve got a long way to go.”

The launch of Jackson’s lingerie line comes just days after the official launch of the Acestar brand of male underwear in conjunction with cricketer Brett Lee.

Schiavi, who started his fashion business by designing and selling a sock with a pocket, likes to see his celebrity tie-ins as partnerships rather than licensing deals, and requires heavy involvement from the celebrity in the product’s development and promotion.

Schiavi, who appeared on BRW’s Young Rich list last year with a fortune of $19 million, told the magazine that he has rejected several celebrity deals – including one with pop star Justin Timberlake – because the partnership element was missing.

“For that particular project, it was just about someone’s name on it. That I just call ‘licensing’. To me, it’s always about being in control of what you’re doing and making sure that you can cope with where you’re going.”

Schiavi has said previously that he expected revenue in 2007-08 to hit $50 million, up from $19 million in the previous corresponding period.

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