Napoleon Perdis

Napoleon Perdis (born 19 March 1970) is an Australian make-up artist and businessman. Perdis launched a small makeup studio in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt in 1992. He created a line of cosmetic products which he sold through his own store in the Sydney suburb of Paddington in 1995 and later through major department stores.[1] By 2011, the brand operated 65 stores across Australia and New Zealand and sold its cosmetics from 4,500 locations. His business expanded to the United States with a number of stores; his products are also stocked by Ulta beauty product stores and independent retailers throughout the country.

Napoleon Perdis
Perdis in Australia, August 2015.
Born (1970-03-19) 19 March 1970
Sydney
Occupation(s)Make-up artist, businessman
Notable workNapoleon Perdis cosmetics line

Perdis set up The Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy in 1993 which provides makeup education by professional trainers for people who want to pursue a career in makeup. Perdis' business partners are his younger brother Emanuel Perdis and his wife Soula-Marie, with both of whom he co-founded his cosmetics company. [2]

Career
A Napoleon Perdis Concept Store in downtown Sydney

Perdis started his career as a make-up artist doing bridal make-up.[3] In 1992, he opened his own make-up studio in a small shop in Leichhardt, New South Wales.[4] In 1993, he won a make-up competition at a beauty expo with a look that was inspired by Cher. He won a trip to Los Angeles, where he met Cher's make-up artist and agreed to become the Australian distributor for his 'Taut' make-up products. Perdis sold the make-up to brides through his Ultimo studio and hair salons. He sold the business when he launched his own make-up products under the successive names, The Look, then The Look by Napoleon, followed with Napoleon and finally to its current Napoleon Perdis name from 1994.

Perdis opened the first Napoleon Perdis store in Paddington in 1995 with the help of a $30,000 loan from his father.[3][5] His wife Soula-Mari was the company's chief financial officer and his brother Emanuel is the managing director.[5]

Perdis made his debut on BRW's Young Rich List in 2004, with a net worth of $20 million.[6]

In 2006, the Napoleon Perdis business expanded to the United States.[5] Their flagship store was located in Beverly Hills, California.[7] To reduce costs, a distribution centre was set up in Los Angeles to distribute products instead of relying on middlemen.[8] Napoleon Perdis products was stocked in stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Dillard's, along with Target stores which carried the NP Set diffusion range.[7] In 2015, the company pulled out completely from the country. Perdis said "The retail scene there is being driven by equity groups rather than great creative retailers who once made American department stores such fantastic places. Just doing business there, on that huge scale, was costing us millions of dollars a year, it just wasn't profitable for us."[7]

In 2008, Napoleon Perdis launched a budget-conscious diffusion line, NP Set, which was sold in Target stores in Australia and the United States.[9]

In 2012, Perdis opened a Napoleon Perdis Life.Style concept store in a former post office in Woollahra, New South Wales. The store sold home furnishings, furniture, art, jewellery and other items that reflected Perdis' tastes.[10] A second store was opened in the Como Centre in South Yarra, Victoria the following year.[11]

Following the expiration of the company's five-year exclusive contract with David Jones in 2013, Perdis began stocking his products at rival department store Myer.[12] In 2015, Perdis signed a deal with Dubai-based Luxuria Trading to distribute his products in the Middle East.[7] In 2017, Perdis installed his then-17-year-old daughter, Lianna, as creative director of diffusion line Total Bae.[5] In August 2018, Napoleon Perdis entered into an exclusive supply deal with the Priceline chain.[13] The company also withdrew from David Jones due to the Priceline partnership.

In late January 2019, Napoleon Perdis went into voluntary administration.[14] The company has 56 stores across Australia at the time, 28 of which was closed by administrators Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants in February 2019 as part of a right-sizing process.[13] In April 2019, it was announced that KUBA investments would purchase Napoleon Perdis and restructure the business. [15] In June 2019, Napoleon Perdis severed ties with Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics. [16][17]

In 2005 to 2008, Perdis appeared as a special guest on a few episodes of the reality television show Australia's Next Top Model, and the winner of the first 4 cycles became the face of Perdis's cosmetic, as part of their prizes. Australian Melissa George campaigned as the face of the Napoleon DeVine Goddess line of cosmetics in 2007.

In 2008, he starred in his own reality television show Get Your Face On, which followed him as he looked for a protégé to help the brand expand in the American market. Get Your Face On began airing in August 2008 on TLC.[18]

Personal life

Perdis was born in Sydney to John and Liana Perdis.[19][20] His parents were Greek immigrants who arrived in Australia in the 1950s.[21] Perdis went to school at Arthur Phillip High School and later at the Redeemer Baptist School. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University, where he met his wife Soula-Marie. They married in 1991 and have four daughters, which include triplets.[3] He worked as a barrister's assistant while his wife was completing her actuary studies.

In 2015, Perdis and his family moved from Los Angeles to live in Athens, Greece.[22][23] As of 2013, he also had homes in Los Angeles and Sydney.[19] Perdis is a collector of owls and books.[19] He has had lap band surgery to lose weight.[24][25]

References
  1. "Napoleon Perdis | Official Site | Makeup, Skincare & Beauty Tools".
  2. "Napoleon Perdis". 6 February 2013.
  3. Koziol, Michael (16 December 2014). "Two of us: Napoleon and Soula-Marie Perdis". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  4. Waterhouse, Kate (29 March 2014). "Date with Kate: Napoleon Perdis". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  5. Sams, Lauren (1 February 2019). "Napoleon Perdis: what went wrong?". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  6. "Young entrepreneurs not afraid of risk". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 September 2004. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  7. Hornery, Andrew (28 May 2015). "Private Sydney: Napoleon Perdis quits America to focus on Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  8. Lee, Julian (18 March 2009). "Napoleon knocks back offers to go it alone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  9. Hughes, Natasha (16 October 2008). "Napoleon Perdis finds his Target". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  10. Bishop, Jen (6 December 2012). "Napoleon Perdis on the first 6 months of his Woollahra concept store Life.Style". The Interiors Addict. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  11. Gower, Camille (25 April 2013). "Napoleon Perdis: Life.Style Store". Couturing.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. "Napoleon planning Myer campaign". The Australian. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  13. Hatch, Patrick (4 February 2019). "28 Napoleon Perdis stores shuttered as chain put up for sale". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  14. Cummins, Carolyn; Hatch, Patrick; Hornery, Andrew (31 January 2019). "Make-up empire Napoleon Perdis collapses with hundreds of jobs at risk". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  15. "Napoleon Perdis to be restructured under $1.6 million deal". SmartCompany. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  16. "Napoleon Perdis severs ties with Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics". Australian Financial Review. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  17. "Make-up king Perdis dethroned after company sold". The West Australian. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  18. Lee, Helen (15 July 2008). "Napoleon Perdis wants a protege and launches a make-up line for Target". Sassybella.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  19. Horton, Shelly (23 October 2013). "Inside the eccentric home of Napoleon Perdis". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  20. Idato, Michael (27 October 2013). "How Napoleon conquered the cosmetics industry". Daily Life. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  21. Safe, Georgina (15 February 2012). "Perdis builds on his foundation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  22. "Make-up mogul brings daughter into fold". PerthNow. 5 June 2018. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019. Napoleon, you relocated your family from LA to Athens three years ago…
  23. Hornery, Andrew (31 January 2019). "'Sick of being milked for money': How Napoleon lost his beauty empire". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  24. Koha, Nui Te (8 March 2015). "How losing 65kg helped my sex life". Herald Sun. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  25. Margo, Jill (26 November 2018). "The Implant Files: Napoleon Perdis cleans up after lap band gift". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
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