Inside Jennifer Hawkins Inc: Property empire, share portfolio and endorsement deals
SHE builds the businesses and he builds the homes.
Former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins has revealed the details of the growing business and property empire she is building with new husband, builder-slash-model, Jake Wall.
Fresh from their Bali nuptials and honeymoon, Ms Hawkins is launching a new business: a range of self tanning lotions called J Bronze.
In an exclusive interview with News Limited, she also reveals the couple have added to their growing property portfolio with the purchase of a sixth investment property - a knock-down-rebuilt in their home suburb of North Curl Curl on the Northern beaches of Sydney.
The celebrity couple and keen property investors paid $1.66 million in March for the land before flying to Bali for their wedding and have lodged a development application for $900,000 of new works, including a swimming pool.
Almost a decade since she won the Miss Universe title, Hawkins has leveraged her success to build a more than $10 million business and property empire.
Jennifer Inc today spans lucrative endorsement deals with some of Australia's biggest companies, including department store Myer, Loveable lingerie, Coca-Cola Amatil's Mount Franklin water and Pharmacare brands Bioglan vitamins and Redwin Skincare and a new contract hosting the current season Australia's Next Top Model.
On top of that, there's the three trademarked brands she now owns in her own right: a swimwear range COZI by Jennifer Hawkins, the shoes JLH by Jennifer Hawkins and now JBronze, a new range of self-tanning products to be launched this week.
"I invest my money. I'm not one to throw it around," she tells News Limited.
"Even before Miss Universe, I saved hard for my first car. I worked three jobs to get that."
In a celebrity industry with a notoriously short shelf life, Hawkins reveals how she has built on lucrative brand endorsements to promote her growing list of brands.
"From the start, I wanted to build businesses that are relevant to my lifestyle and that I'm really passionate about."
The new JBronze range of skin bronzers and self tanning lotions will be sold in more than a thousand pharmacies and retailers, including Myer.
The Myer spokeswoman is scheduled meet with Myer boss Bernie Brookes in the second week of August to discuss cessation or continuation of her contract which expires in November.
Amid speculation the company may choose not to continue the contract, Hawkins says she is very keen to remain the face of Myer.
"I would love to. I'm a shareholder so I'm always going to be a part of it."
Hawkins will walk the catwalk on May 8 to launch Myer's 2014 Spring/Summer collection.