Michelle

She's petite but with more big plans
By HARRIET PALMER - Taranaki Daily News
Last updated 05:00 15/09/2009


AMONG THE PEOPLE: Suzanne Paul signs an autograph for fan Thelma Ayers while in Taranaki yesterday promoting her new line of clothing Suzanne Paul: Petite.


It's been a long time since Inglewood has seen anything as big as the tiny Suzanne Paul.

The celebrity saleswoman flew in to the Taranaki town yesterday to push her new range of clothing for women under 5ft 4in, Suzanne Paul: Petite.

Greeting her at local store, Martins Fashions, was a crowd of female fans, all chuffed the 5ft 2in pocket-rocket had come to Taranaki and not giving a hoot about her very public bankruptcy. "I just really admire her for where she has been and what she has done" Mary Baylis of New Plymouth said. "She's great for standing up here."

Inglewood is just one of the small towns the former multi-millionaire plans to canvass, with visits to Invercargill, Ashburton and Timaru up next.

Standing on a make-shift stage in the middle of a shop in Inglewood may seem like a far cry from the flashy prime-time TV advertising she used to promote Natural Glow, but Ms Paul says rather than representing how far she's fallen, it's all about marketing. "It worked for me with Natural Glow," she said.

"I like the smaller towns and I like the small stores because you get the service. It's something new for all the shops so what I said to the people is if you put my clothes in your shops I'll come and help you promote them and sell them," she said.

Ms Paul was declared bankrupt in 2005 after her Maori tourist venture Rawaka was put in to liquidation.

Four years later she has married again, is helping bring up three teenage stepchildren and is having another go at amassing wealth her former company Prestige Marketing fetched $39 million in 1996.

The Petite clothing range has been launched after two-years of planning, designing and hunting for investors. "There was a gap in the market and I kept saying to my mum somebody will fill it, somebody will fill it and in the end that was me. I like being the first at something ... I s'pose it's back to selling which is what I know."

She hasn't earned anything from the range in that time but is extremely confident she's going to pull it off. "I'm always a positive person, I always think that everything I do is going to be hugely successful. I wouldn't do it if I didn't."

And as Ms Paul took to the stage yesterday, the microphone was lowered and she set to work. "She's splendid," came a voice from the crowd.