How Kendall Jenner launched Triangl Swimwear into the US with one post

Former Western Bulldog Craig Ellis was eating canned soup and trying to launch his swimwear business when one email from Kendall Jenner changed it all.

Former Western Bulldogs player Craig Ellis and partner Erin Deering own Triangl swimwear, a brand that took off when Kendall Jenner tweeted about them.

Former AFL player Craig Ellis has told the real story of how Kendall Jenner helped build his bikini empire.

Model Jenner, part of the Kardashian clan, gave Triangl swimwear a huge kickstart to become what is now a business worth more than $40 million.

Ellis and partner Erin Deering co-founded the brand in 2012 after moving to Hong Kong with $500 in the bank.

“Erin explained some brands are doing the gifting thing,’’ said the former Western Bulldogs and Melbourne player who played 122 games.

“One day Erin and I were having a conversation, we said who would represent our demographic and our product and at the time Erin said Kendall Jenner.

Kendall Jenner helped take Triangl Swimwear to the next level.

Kendall Jenner with sister Khloe Kardashian. Picture: Instagram

“We decided she was too big to go after and we started with her friendship network and started gifting to all her friends and miraculously we got an email from Kendall saying ‘all my friends are wearing your product can I get some?’

“We sent all six products we had and she tweeted to five million people and that for us was a pivotal moment in engaging the US audience and things went parabolic after that.”

Ellis opened up to close friend and former teammate Luke Darcy on his Empowering Leaders podcast.

He said it was an interesting road to success after he went bankrupt when his fashion brand St Lenny folded.

He would have been happy to make $30,000 a year which was his wage before leaving Australia.

“That was the number to try and get to selling one (bikini) a day and give us about $30,000 a year and replace my previous salary,’’ Ellis said.

“That was happiness and I’d be happy as a pig in shit if I could do that.

“You think happiness is connected to all material things and this image. The great learning of that was I was equally as happy with no money as all the money in the world.

“I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but one of the best experiences I had in terms of learnings and growth. It prioritises in your head, when it boils down and everything is taken away from you, what is fundamental. You realise the economical things are far from driving your happiness.”

Ellis and Deering, who had two children and set up home in Monaco, were eating canned soup and Ellis stayed in hotels in China for $15 a night.

“Eating canned soup wasn’t too bad,’’ Ellis said.

“You just get through those things. Being passionate about something was far more important to me than what was being served up for dinner.

“Definitely a lot of challenges and growth, but the whole experience was incredibly enjoyable.”

Empowering Leaders with Luke Darcy is available on LiSTNR or whereever you get your podcasts.