Kiwi actor Jono Kenyon was the creative director of the brand, which launched in 2023.
Kiwi actor Jono Kenyon was the creative director of the brand, which launched in 2023.
Boudicca Italy, a clothing brand, has been “parked” without making any sales since launch.
Jono Kenyon resigned as creative director earlier this year, expressing uncertainty about the brand’s future.
Roy Bishop confirmed Boudicca Italy is on hold, with hopes for a summer relaunch.
It was launched to much fanfare last year, billed as “luxury wardrobe staples” made in Europe, but Spy can reveal that clothing brand Boudicca Italy has been “parked”, without ever making any sales.
Kiwi actor Jono Kenyon was a creative director for the brand, and Spy understands controversial businessman RoyBishop was also involved in the company.
When Kenyon launched the brand in February 2023, Bishop’s name was not publicly tied to it. According to a Stuff story in October 2023, Bishop has been convicted of fraud twice, bankrupted twice and been involved in three companies liquidated with total debts of more than $3m.
In April last year, while talking about the brand with Woman’s Day, Kenyon did not name who was behind the brand. He said a chance meeting in 2022 saw his career take an unexpected turn into fashion.
“I happened to get talking to the founder of what is now Boudicca Italy – he was a fan of my acting work. It turned out he owned several businesses and was looking for a creative director for a new fashion line,” Kenyon told Woman’s Day.
The meeting developed into Kenyon taking on the role of creative director and saw him travel to Italy to oversee the range designed and manufactured there.
The resulting imagery for the brand was luxe, showcased on an official Instagram page called Boudicca Italy started in February 2023, followed by extensive fashion media coverage.
UK-born Kenyon, 34, has starred in many television shows including Go Girls, My Life is Murder and 800 Words and became a household name when he starred on Step Dave 10 years ago.
When Spy asked about what was happening with Boudicca Italy Kenyon said: “I handed in my resignation to Boudicca Italy at the start of the year and left a week or so after that.”
Kenyon added that he noticed the website went down after he had left and was not sure what had happened.
“I was always just an employee. I do not wish to make any further comments about Boudicca as I left a long time ago.”
Kenyon confirmed the trading name of the company, Boudicca LLC, and Bishop’s name.
Jono Kenyon in the TV show 'Step Dave'. Photo / Supplied
When approached for comment, Bishop told Spy he wished Kenyon well for the future and said unfortunately Boudica Italy had been parked for now.
“Jono was fantastic at what he did and I still think of him as a personal friend,” Bishop said. “All parties involved think it’s a fantastic brand and really do hope that it comes to life in the way it had intended to. The only reason it didn’t hit the market as of yet [is] everyone just didn’t think it was the right time; however, going into the summer period in NZ and Aus they might look at it a bit differently.”
When asked if he was the same Roy Bishop who had been convicted of fraud, he said he had no comment.
Bishop would not name the people overseas who were involved in Boudicca Italy and while admitting he ran things in New Zealand he said he did not “own the brand”.
He said there were no customers who were owed money, as there were no sales for Boudicca Italy while the website was live.
“It wasn’t at that point yet,” Bishop said. “My understanding is that it wasn’t ready to go in the back end of the system.”
Bishop said he wasn’t aware of any suppliers or contractors who were owed money but had “asked this to be double checked just to be double sure.”
Fashion media reported there were hopes of expansion for Boudicca Italy from New Zealand into Australia and plans for a brick-and-mortar fashion store.
Boudicca Italy’s last Instagram post was in March this year. The link to the website no longer works.
The Instagram page, which has nearly 2000 followers, has dozens of tiles showing models wearing the brand in various shoots in Italy and offers pre-orders.
Bishop told Spy the clothes photographed for Boudicca Italy’s Instagram page were now “in storage”.
As to when the brand will be un-parked, he said: “My understanding is that it has been planned for the start of summer and Christmas period.”
It is understood Kenyon is enjoying living in a small town in Marlborough and tending to cows. In between his time as creative director, Kenyon kept a foot in the acting world and starred in a successful national tour of famous stage show Ladies Night, as reported in Spy last July.
