New Partners at Porn Star
Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Porn Star has entered into a partnership agreement with Jasco Apparel specifically for financial and business management services, which were originally provided by L&H Apparel, the line’s initial holding company.
“We are excited to have Scott [Kaufman] and Jason [Yardi, founders of Jasco Apparel] with us and feel that this step will be the key to our future growth and be beneficial both to our retailers and ultimately our customers,” said Sean Murphy, one of the twin brothers who founded Porn Star. “We have a new, dynamic management team that is both focused and enthusiastic, which will give us the opportunity to build our brand and step up to the next level.”
The founders, company management and infrastructure will all remain in place, with Sean Murphy handling marketing and Barret Murphy handling production. Kaufman identified the merging of each team’s strengths as a key to future success of the partnership.
“We feel our financial and business management background coupled with Porn Star’s strong brand awareness and creative team will prove to be a dynamic combination,” said Kaufman. “Our new team is determined to develop the brand’s growth without losing sight of the roots that made us what we are today.”
Sean Murphy said that Jasco is dedicated to building its global distribution while keeping the line’s edge and quality intact. The company will continue growing other categories and licenses, including the recently launched Porn Star Undercovers, Porn Star Accessories and a men’s underwear line that is currently in the works, while maintaining the junior division, Starlette, and the graphic T-shirt division, FOS.
“We’re a brand-building company and we’ll keep expanding with every opportunity to do so while keeping focus on our punk tradition of rebelling against the ’norm,’” stated Larry Handley, president/general manager, who will stay with the company during a brief transition period and then, after that, will no longer be affiliated with it. —Darryl James
