Beautiful Business Model
It’s hard work creating a cult beauty brand that has celebrity devotees like Victoria Beckham, Keira Knightly, Mischa Barton and Cameron Diaz.
And even harder to attract their attention for free, which is what Shelley Barrett’s company, ModelCo, has done in just five years.
The company’s 125 products are sold in 500 department stores worldwide, including tres-chic boutique Colette in Paris, beauty mecca Space NK in London and lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret stores in the US.
In Australia, where it all began, ModelCo has an exclusive concept store agreement with David Jones.
Last year Ms Barrett, 34, had the ultimate endorsement from Posh when Mrs Beckham was snapped in LA checking her face with a pink ModelCo eyebrow compact that perfectly matched her pink outfit.
“I didn’t have any idea she used our products until the picture came out,” she recalls with amazement.
“We were so flattered. The power of celebrity is huge and there is a knock-on effect to the consumer.”
The only celebrity she has formed a formal alliance with is Elle Macpherson, who in 2006 became the face of her product “Erase Those Fine Lines”.
Anyone that creates a company with 350 per cent growth in five years would interest Ms Macpherson who, like Ms Barrett, knows a thing or two about creating a brand.
Ms Barrett began her business career at 21 by launching her own modelling agency which expanded over the next decade to represent 1200 models and actors.
Working at the front line of beauty with models and hair and make-up artists at fashion shows and shoots, she sympathetically watched as the girls winced as they curled their lashes with traditional curlers and moaned that they wished there was some other way to create a luscious lash.
By 2002 Ms Barrett had found a way – a heated lash curler that softly created the desired effect, like a hair curling wand.
The trick now was to find somewhere to produce the product – her husband, Damien, was fortuitously starting an import business at the time.
He helped Ms Barrett source a company in Korea that could make the product and import it back into Australia.
They named it ModelCo Lash Wand Heated Eyelash Curler and packaged it in the now signature colour pink because it was Ms Barrett’s favourite hue.
“It became the fastest-selling product in Myer,” she says.
Shelley Barrett is a truly inspirational woman. When she had an idea, she ran with it. Now, only 5 years later, she’s created a business empire than many people would be envious of. This reflects very well on what can be done with the power of a good idea.
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