Poppy King
Encyclopedia
Poppy Cybele King is an Australian entrepreneur
. She is best known for her company Poppy Industries and the range of cosmetics
available at Poppy Stores in Australia, during the 1990s.
, and Wesley College, Melbourne
. Her father died of cancer when she was seven.
company in 1991 at age eighteen. Poppy Industries mainly produced a wide colour range of opaque lipstick
s. The head office was located in Melbourne
. Within three years, the company had grown to be one of the biggest cosmetic
companies in Australia
. In 1995 she received the Young Australian of the Year award and that year the company made a profit of $6.5 million.
In 1998, after expansion into the U.S.
market, the company collapsed and went into receivership, then liquidation. With further outside investment the company continued until 2002, when it was finally dissolved. In 1999, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission investigated allegations that Poppy Industries traded while it was insolvent, however the Commission later released a statement clearing the company of any wrongdoing.
King later launched a new brand called "Lipstick Queen".
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. She is best known for her company Poppy Industries and the range of cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
available at Poppy Stores in Australia, during the 1990s.
Early life
King was educated at Lauriston Girls' School in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
. Her father died of cancer when she was seven.
Business career
King started her own cosmeticsCosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
company in 1991 at age eighteen. Poppy Industries mainly produced a wide colour range of opaque lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
s. The head office was located in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Within three years, the company had grown to be one of the biggest cosmetic
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
companies in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 1995 she received the Young Australian of the Year award and that year the company made a profit of $6.5 million.
In 1998, after expansion into the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market, the company collapsed and went into receivership, then liquidation. With further outside investment the company continued until 2002, when it was finally dissolved. In 1999, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission investigated allegations that Poppy Industries traded while it was insolvent, however the Commission later released a statement clearing the company of any wrongdoing.
King later launched a new brand called "Lipstick Queen".
Personal life
King currently lives in New York. She wrote Lessons of a Lipstick Queen, published by Atria Books in August 2008. She has campaigned for the Australian Republican MovementAustralian Republican Movement
The Australian Republican Movement is a non-partisan lobby group advocating constitutional change in Australia to a republican form of government, from a constitutional monarchy.-Foundation:...
.