YNOT EUROPE – “Sex Toy Dave” Levine has joined forces with Rimini, Italy-based Happiness Brand to launch a line of what Levine calls “high-fashion” T-shirts in Italy, Spain and the U.S.

Levine, who parlayed one of the first online sex shops into a fortune and gained a modicum of attention for his millions with a 2008 appearance on the American reality TV show Millionaire Matchmaker, believes trendy shops like Block 60 Riccione in Milan, the My Closet international chain and Fred Segal’s in Santa Monica, Calif., will do well with shirts bearing sexually suggestive slogans.

In fact, according to Happiness founder Michael Scarpellini, as soon as the shirts were printed, several large stores voiced interest.

“Our buyers are interested in these designs because they are unique and tap into popular sexual attitude trends,” Scarpellini said.

Happiness typically partners with celebrities and prominent businesspeople to design and distribute fashions of the moment. The Sex Toy Dave shirts bear sayings like “I keep my phone on vibrate” and “50 Shades of Pink.” A third design bears the image of a vibrating cock ring with the saying “Put a ring on it.”

“Creating a clothing line is a much more fun, creative and profitable way to market my brand than directly advertising sex toys,” said Levine, adding that each shirt bears the URL of his flagship website, SexToy.com.

Scarpellini said he expects the shirts to do well, especially considering Levine’s habit of taking a small idea and expanding upon it in several different directions.

“We like creative people like Dave who not only run a great business but show a unique ability to market themselves and their brand,” he said.

Outside the initial launch markets, the shirts are available in Happiness’ online store.