David Jones is parting ways with ModelCo after over ten years of union. The high-end department store chain and the cosmetics company are cutting off their once lucrative relationship, with each claiming they dumped the other one.

ModelCo founder Shelley Barrett has expanded her brand from sales in 500 to 1500 outlets, including Priceline and Woolworths, and has reduced prices by 30 per cent. Ms Barrett claimed that her company's partnership with David Jones is costing them money rather than giving them the desired profit.

"I love David Jones but it's just not working for us anymore," Ms Barrett told BRW. "To put it simply I have ten national sales consultants who would go around and service the stores and they spent more time in David Jones than they did in the stores that were making a profit.

"It was costing us money to be in there so we're going to channel that expense from running David Jones into more profitable channels like Priceline and Woolworths."

But David Jones insisted that they're the dumper rather than the dumpee, contrary to what ModelCo claimed.

"David Jones made the decision to delete ModelCo from its beauty portfolio based on the brand's continuing decline in sales year on year," a spokeswoman said.

"David Jones' position as leader in the beauty market is defined by its exclusive relationships with the world's most sought-after brands. ModelCo no longer fits with our 'House of Brands' strategy and we will be replacing it with new brands that our customers want, namely LDN Skins and Loving Tan. We wish ModelCo all the best."

Ms Barrett maintained that their customers don't just shop exclusively in department stores anymore so ModelCo has broadened their distribution, adding that other cosmetic brands like Nude by Nature and Rimmel have also gone a similar route.

To which David Jones asserted that they also axed those brands because of "non-performance in terms of sales" as well.

The beauty brand admitted that they have suffered during the global financial crises over the past two years, but business is now "booming." Ms Barrett denied, however, that ModelCo is going to hook up with another up-market department store, Myers, which is David Jones' rival.

Meanwhile, English model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has joined ModelCo as its brand ambassador. The "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" actress graced the Black Tie event of the brand at the Hayman Island on June 10, wearing a jaw-dropping white outfit composed of a bandeau top and an ankle-length skirt.

Related:

Rosie Huntington Whiteley: Ab Fab for ModelCo [PHOTOS] [Read]

RELATED STORIES