Business Minded: Elle Ferguson, Founder of ELEFFECT & FELLE
“I think when you put yourself out there for everyone to see, it comes with a lot of judgement and I’ve really had to put my blinkers on and stay focused throughout my business journey.”
Business Minded is a series dedicated to celebrating female entrepreneurs who have conquered their respective industries with creativity, tenacity and a spirit of true originality.
I’ve always had an obsession with understanding the ins and outs of everything and anything. Yes, unsurprisingly, I have become very familiar with the phrase ‘busy body’ in my time. I just love to know, you know? Whether that was CIA-level Facebook stalking skills for the boy my friend saw on the train or a craned neck to work out why exactly that red Ferrari was pulled over, I wear ‘busy body’ as a badge of honour.
In my adult life, this love of knowing has transcended novel topics of ex-boyfriends and police operations and matured into craving an understanding of just how successful female entrepreneurs have built their small empires. No matter the industry, business model or lifespan of their businesses, I am desperate to know how it came to be.
And so, Business Minded by Mind Your Business, was born.
In this edition, I spoke to fashion influencer and founder of ELEFFECT and FELLE, Elle Ferguson. As one of the most recognisable fashion faces in Australia, Elle chats about overcoming judgement to pursue her dreams, what sacrifices it takes to build not one, but two successful businesses and why sometimes you just have to put on your blinkers and trust that what you’re doing is worth it.
Image credit: Despi Naka
Hi Elle! You launched ELEFFECT, your self-tanning brand, in 2018. What inspired you to start your own brand?
OMG 2018 feels like yesterday and somehow we’re now in 2025?!
To be completely honest, I started ELEFFECT with a whole lot of naivety and the desire to be at the forefront of the changing landscape of the influencer world. I was spending a lot of time in the US and could see the shift of the influencer becoming the brand owner, rather than just the ambassador. Fellow influencers like Jen Atkin, Kristen Noel Crawley and Marianna Hewitt were launching brands like Ouai (Jen), KNC Beauty (Kristen) and Summer Fridays (Marianna) and I was lucky enough to be spending time with them so it felt attainable to launch a brand of my own.
I came back to Australia and realised it was a lot harder than I ever thought. No one would take an influencer seriously about creating their own brand and I knew nothing about making a self tanner. But I’m not someone to shy away from hard work and for every ‘no’ I receive, I push even harder to get it done.
Part of the reason that I created ELEFFECT in the US was that the chemists, labs and factories took me and my business seriously. As long as I could pay deposits and invoices, I was considered to be like everyone else in the game. Sadly it wasn’t like that here at home. But again, this was in 2018 and now the game has changed. Influencing is considered a ‘real’ business.
The philosophy behind ELEFFECT is all about making yourself feel like your best, most confident self (sans the sun damage) because there is nothing quite like a bronzey glow to make you feel like you can conquer the world. Why was creating a self-tanning brand that was both elevated yet efficacious so important to you?
Sun safety has always been extremely important to me. My family has a history of sun cancer and even from a young age I remember my mum covering my sister and I head to toe in sunscreen. However, the older I got, I always wanted to be that bronzed beach babe that was full of confidence (there’s something about the special powers a good tan holds), so I turned to self-tanning.
Growing up, I pretty much tried every single tanning product on the market. I quickly became aware that I couldn’t find the perfect one. They were either too orange, not bronzed enough, wouldn’t last or wore off really unevenly. They all also smelt SO bad! What’s with that?
The more I travelled to the US, the more I realised that the tans there had this red-ish undertone that gave the tan a really natural, sunkissed look. I came back to Australia and would be mixing up three or four different tans to get the shade I was after. So, selfishly, I actually created ELEFFECT for me. I made the most perfect shade of glow that smells like roses. I just believed that others wanted the same thing… turns out, they did!
After running ELEFFECT for almost seven years, you recently launched your second business, FELLE. A fashion brand that effortlessly fuses minimalism and romantic-to-street chic, the collection is available to shop now at StyleRunner and GLUE. How was the process of creating a fashion brand different to creating a beauty brand?
I would say it was more of a rollercoaster! One of my many mottos is ‘if it was easy, everyone would be doing it’. And I think that is true for any time you are challenged. It's been an amazing experience but extremely hard at times. I think when you put yourself out there for everyone to see, it comes with a lot of judgement and I’ve really had to put my blinkers on and stay focused on what FELLE is a celebration of—the intersection of effortless minimalism and romantic street chic—and not care about what everyone else is doing.
What were the main inspiration points for you behind FELLE’s first collection? And where do you see the brand progressing in years to come?
FELLE draws inspiration from my own style and aesthetic, blending a Bondi vibe with romantic femininity and a global-city style minimalist sophistication. FELLE offers unique, versatile pieces that meet the design aesthetic of luxury fashion and empowers women to express their individuality to achieve their aspirational dream style. The brand will evolve when we start to grow our community and see the aesthetic of the brand become stronger. I’m excited to see people wearing FELLE! That will be a real dream come true.
Like anything worth doing, building a business—or in your case, multiple—certainly has its challenges. What have been some of the more unexpected challenges you’ve had to navigate and how have you overcome them?
To be honest, I really thought things would have changed from 2018 but sadly being a woman in business can still be really hard. You really do have to stand up to be heard. I think sometimes being an ‘influencer’ makes it even harder because people judge that as just taking a photo—but it is so vast beyond that. I really do admire Kim Kardashian for breaking the mold and being a phenomenal business woman, lawyer and still being able to stand there in her underwear. Times are changing but they are changing very, very slowly.
What is the greatest piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to start a business?
It would be to take a minute and really think about it. Get a good lawyer that knows about trademarks. Get a great accountant and get all your paperwork sorted before you jump in. And be ready to make sacrifices.
What has been the most rewarding part of building ELEFFECT and FELLE?
Honestly, it’s just that I have created these two brands that I am so proud of! Still to this day, I cannot believe that I have a beauty brand stocked in MECCA! MECCA to me is the pinnacle of success and to be one of their best selling self-tan brands is huge. For FELLE, I’m proud that I am doing it. It was something that scared me so to say I have overcome that makes me really grateful.
The messaging behind both brands, as well as your own personal brand as one of the most recognisable fashion personalities in Australia, is confidence, individuality and being true to yourself. What are some rituals you do each day to help you conquer the day as your most balanced and confident self?
Running six days a week on my treadmill has literally changed my life. It rewards me on those days that I don’t necessarily have another win. It gives me an hour to myself with no phone. I can get angry or I can get sad and it never judges. It has made me a better version of myself.
What does your AM skincare routine look like?
I love to cold plunge my face in super icy cold water. I’ve done this for years and I just love it. I also swear by the Clarins Double Serum as it’s great under makeup and it adds a glow. Because I self-tan with ELEFFECT each week, I like to ensure my face is topped up with tan every three to four days as well.
What are your favourite makeup products for a five minute face?
I always start with a base of the ELEFFECT Self Tanning Mousse because I then find I wear less makeup. I moisturise with Clarins Double Serum and then makeup. I love Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 and Charlotte Tilbury’s Bronzer. As my dear friend Max May says, “Never underestimate the power of blush”. So, I’ve been using a great shade of liquid blush from Rare Beauty that I love and I put it on the apples of my cheeks and across the bridge of my nose to look extra sunkissed. Then it’s REFY Brow Freeze, nude eyeliner on the water line, Kevyn Aucoin Tubular Mascara, Prada Beauty Balm and Lipstick in Teipeolo.
What are the top five wardrobe essentials you think everyone should invest in?
A great black blazer. I prefer mine oversized so you can cinch it in with a belt or wear it over a dress.
The perfect pair of blue jeans. The Icon Jean from my KSUBI collab might just be the most flattering jean ever.
A white t-shirt. I love the Re/DONE x Hanes ones.
A pair of black pumps. My favourites are the Balenciaga Knife Points.
An investment handbag that you will carry for years and doesn’t date.
Can I have one more? Haha! As lucky number six, I’m going to say some Babyanything Jewellery. Lasts forever and adds that little bit of magic to your outfit.
What is your current #1 wishlist item at the moment? (Could be anything beauty, fashion, wellbeing, home, food, health etc.)
A first class ticket to Paris, then LA, then finishing in Hawaii with a limitless AMEX. Sorry not sorry!