Last week Terry Yates, the owner of box maker DRP Cartons,  received an email from Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics.

Titled "URGENT & IMPORTANT – ENDING THE VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION & SAVING THE NAPOLEON PERDIS BRAND", it was a plea to creditors to vote in favour of a $1.6 million rescue proposal that would save the company from collapse and enable founder Napoleon Perdis and his wife Soula-Marie to keep their roles as creative and development directors.