Jennifer Hawkins

More than 10 years after being crowned Miss Universe in 2004, Jennifer Hawkins has cemented her place as an Australian icon with her work as a leading TV presenter, fashion designer and entrepreneur.

Her year as Miss Universe saw her immediately move to an apartment in New York City which became her home base as she travelled the world from South East Asia, China and India to South America, North America and Europe, speaking at events as reigning Miss Universe and ambassador for organizations focusing on HIV and AIDS awareness. Within weeks of being crowned, Jennifer spoke to a crowd of more than 18,000 people when she appeared onstage with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and world-famous actor and activist, Richard Gere at the 2004 World AIDS Summit in Bangkok Thailand.

This experience ignited a passion for using her position to help others and since this time Jennifer has donated not only her time but also auction items to many Australian charities including Sydney Cancer Foundation, The Sydney Children’s Hospital, Canteen and Make-A-Wish Foundation as well as being a patron for HCRF (Hunter Children’s Research Foundation). Jennifer has worked closely with The Butterfly Foundation, and to raise awareness for heart disease she also participated in the Red Dress campaign. She is currently an ambassador for The Salvation Army, where she regularly donates her high-end clothes for the Salvos to sell on her behalf, with all proceeds going to their services.

Jennifer was first seen on screen for Channel Seven’s The Great Outdoors where she was nominated for Most Popular New Female Talent at the 2006 Logie Awards. Since then Jennifer’s dynamic hosting style has seen her land ongoing gigs with Getaway, Make Me A Supermodel and hosted her third year of Australia’s Next Top Model on Foxtel in 2016.

The quintessential covergirl, Jennifer has graced the covers of all major Australian glossy fashion magazines including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, InStyle, Stellar, Men’s Style, FHM, Maxim, Grazia, The Collective, Cosmopolitan, Cleo as well as health and fitness publications such as Shape, Good Health and Women’s Health.

Jennifer has signed some of Australia’s most lucrative commercial contracts, her contract with retail giant Myer was a first for its type in the Australian landscape. In the past, she has secured deals with Pepsi, skincare brand Lux, Covergirl, Lovable, a luxury waterfront property development in Hong Kong, Audi, Bon Voyage Travel, Louis Vuitton and Siren shoes and her current contracts include Myer, Colgate, Freedom Foods, Mount Franklin Lightly Sparking, The Star, Trinity Point and Range Rover.

Keen to broaden her own brand and unleash her creative side, Jennifer put her business skills into practice inking a supply deal with Myer to design a range of swimwear Cozi by Jennifer Hawkins in 2007 which is now one of the most recognised labels on the Australian swimwear circuit.

As part of her ever-expanding business empire, in 2013 Jennifer launched Jbronze, a self-tanning range she spent over two years developing to perfection and is a sell-out in stores.

Along with her husband Jake, a builder, Jennifer has diversified into property development with a number of investment properties and developments being held under their joint business; J Group Projects.

After being introduced to tequila by Jake and favouring the tipple whilst entertaining or holidaying, the couple launched their own brand, Sesión. Three years in the making, Sesión is more than just a passion project, Jennifer & Jake saw a gap in the market for an Australian tequila and they have taken a holistic approach to formulating the perfect drop.

With numbers climbing over 1.8 million on social media watching Jennifer’s every move, you can be sure there will be many exciting projects and developments in years to come.