Conscious By design, Iconic By Nature – ELK Leads With Purpose
Fit Check: ethical
By Kathryn Edmonds | 24th June 2025Founded in Melbourne back in 2004 by creative duo Marnie Goding and Adam Koniaras, ELK has carved out its place as one of Australia’s most iconic independent fashion labels.
With a love for clean lines, sculptural shapes, and thoughtful design, the brand has always done things a little differently—and with purpose. ELK’s all about blending sustainability with serious style, and it shows. They’re a proud B Corp and took home the 2019 Australian Fashion Laureate for Sustainable Innovation (no big deal).
Marnie Goding
We caught up with the team to chat about what drives their design process, the challenges they’ve faced along the way, and what exciting things are coming next.
Can you take us back to the beginning – what inspired you and Adam to start ELK in 2004, and what was your initial vision for the brand?
When Adam and I founded ELK in 2004, we were driven by a youthful vision of creating a brand that combined creativity with a strong sense of responsibility as well as one that created opportunities for others. We wanted to make jewellery and accessories that people could wear for years, but at more accessible price points. Adam was a fine jeweller so we had the workshops set up and processes in place,e but we had to pivot to using different materials and techniques. As a family business, we saw the importance of building a brand that not only reflected our values but also our commitment to supporting traditional trades. In the early days, it was just us and a small team so for a long time we just ploughed on and grew organically. Through demand, we expanded the ranges from jewellery to leather goods and then in 2009 into the full fashion label we are today.
ELK has developed a very distinct aesthetic – bold yet refined. How would you describe the brand’s design DNA, and how has it evolved over the years?
ELK’s design DNA has always been a balance of boldness, simplicity, and wearability. From the very beginning, our aesthetic was informed by creating pieces that were both striking through colour and material choice. We never wanted to make anything that was too audacious or unwearable and this philosophy continues today.
Our design process has evolved over time too to incorporate more sustainable materials, a broader range of silhouettes, and thoughtful design details that reflect what our customers want and to be more in line with our company goals. Over our 21 years, we have maintained the same approach: creating pieces that are not only beautiful but functional, with an emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability.
Sustainability is clearly at the heart of ELK. What does “conscious creation” mean to you in practical, day-to-day terms?
“Conscious creation” for us is about ensuring that every decision we make, from sourcing materials to final production, to the way we run our business, is made consciously and thoughtfully. Everyone should think carefully about what impact a decision has – whether its raw materials, where and who we source from, what and how much we buy and then what we do with it at the end of its life – we have choices at every stage as a company and as makers, suppliers and consumers.
You’ve been vocal about using natural and lower-impact materials. How do you balance sustainability with the performance and longevity customers expect from your products?
The greatest impact we have – or any fashion brand has – lies in the materials used. The more products we make, the greater the impact, so it’s essential that we choose the lowest-impact options. At ELK, we have carefully set our material usage goals with a realistic balance in mind. While we would prefer to use 100% natural materials in every garment, such as linen, cotton, and wool, we recognise that synthetics can sometimes be added for functionality and durability, depending on the garment’s intended use. However, if we do need to use man-made materials, we prioritise recycled options and limit the percentage we include.
Our Preferred Materials chart and the goals that guide our decisions are backed by research and careful reasoning. Although ELK is a medium-sized business, we still face challenges meeting minimums for some of the fabrics we wish to use, or the prices of these materials can be too high for our customers. This is a reality for many mid-market brands, and as a result, our design team’s choices can sometimes be limited.
That said, we are proud of the feedback we receive. The items that are resold on marketplaces and those returned through our ReNew program show that they have worn well, retained a lot of life, and can continue being used thanks to quality construction and materials.
Artisanal craftsmanship is a hallmark of your collections. How do you find and collaborate with artisans around the world while staying true to ELK’s identity?
We have a strong, experienced in-house design team who work with makers to produce our designs. They make sure that everything is on brand, and we always ask ourselves, “Would we wear this, and would our ELK customers wear this?”. We have an amazing collaborative team and sometimes pressure test a design, a print or an idea with them before it even gets briefed to a maker.
When we are ready to hand over a design, we look for partners who share our values, who can offer us transparency into their operations and supply chains and have expertise in processes that will result in great quality product. ELK is nothing without its suppliers, and from the beginning, we set out to build strong relationships with these people who bring our ideas to life. It is a true collaboration.
Some suppliers we have worked with for almost 20 years and others have just started with us. New team members introduce new contacts, we travel to source some, and others approach us, knowing that we will only work with producers who are responsible. It is a carefully selected network that helps us achieve our vision, but that can also translate our handwriting.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in aligning ethical practices with fashion business realities?
Our greatest ethical challenge is achieving full transparency in our supply chain. Gaining visibility from Tier 1 product finishers to Tier 4 raw materials is incredibly complex. Ethical considerations cover material sourcing, fair labour practices, environmental impact, animal welfare, circularity, and purchasing policies, among others. While we have made significant progress with mapping our supply chain, we acknowledge that full visibility in tiers 3 and 4 remains a challenge.
As we introduce new fabrications, this adds new layers to our supply chain. Suppliers may also work with different mills each season, which means our supply chain mapping is a continuous process and not a linear journey. Each collection, we must trace back the supply chain again to ensure we know the suppliers that have contributed to each new order.
ELK’s Transparency Report is quite unique in the industry. Why did you feel it was important to openly share your sustainability progress – and setbacks – with the public?
We believe in transparency because it fosters trust. By sharing our progress, challenges, and areas for improvement, we hold ourselves accountable to our customers, suppliers, the broader community and the claims we make. Sustainability is a journey, and we want to be honest about where we are and where we need to improve. Our Transparency Report provides a deeper understanding of the steps we are taking, and it encourages dialogue within the whole industry about what real change looks like. We were inspired by Ice Breaker and others and to now see so many brands and companies sharing their journey it gives us great motivation to continue on and to provide even greater transparency.
Congratulations on becoming a B Corp in 2024. What did that certification process teach you about your business – and yourselves as founders?
Becoming a B Corp was a significant milestone for us. The certification process was lengthy but not overly burdensome, as much of the required data was already part of our business practices for the annual transparency report. While the initiative came from us as owners, it was our team leaders who made it happen.
The process helped refine our policies and generate more reporting across the business. Being a B Corp reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement and accountability, providing a solid framework for responsible growth.
Australian fashion is gaining more global recognition. How do you think ELK reflects a uniquely Australian perspective in an international context?
Our designs are inspired by natural beauty and as proud Australians, we draw our influence from landscapes, art and the urban culture around us. At ELK, we do not follow major trends or replicate others, which is why we stand out with vibrant colours, bold prints and accessories. For more than 17 years, we have exported to various countries and have consistently enjoyed the positive reactions from our clients to our unique designs and the more relaxed, personal approach we take to our business relationships.
Unfortunately, the global pandemic significantly impacted this export aspect of our business, but as Australian fashion continues to gain more recognition internationally, we are eager to be part of that conversation once again. We are excited to showcase what responsible, Australian design can offer the world.
As the winner of the Australian Fashion Laureate for Sustainable Innovation, what advice would you give to emerging designers trying to build responsible brands?
You should define what sustainability means to you and ensure it is embedded in every aspect of your brand. Share your journey and embrace the fact that building a responsible brand takes time – it is a long-term commitment, not a quick win. Start by focusing on material selection, effective inventory planning to avoid overproduction, and incorporating circularity.
Read ELK’s Transparency Reports, as well as those from other brands, to understand what good looks like. Learn from these examples, reach out and ask questions, network and then set your own goals. When we began our journey, there were few references and no one to guide us. Today, there are numerous tools, experts, and resources available to help you, so take the time to ask questions, read, and research.
In a world of fast fashion, how do you communicate the value of slower, more considered fashion to your customers?
Communication, education, product labelling and customer service all go a long way to helping our customers align with our conscious fashion philosophy. We offer information online and have an incredible retail, online and service team who take the time to talk to our customers, answer their questions and assist with making the most suitable purchase. We don’t adhere to pushy sales language or tactics and make sure we balance our marketing with messaging other than sales or product.
We have other programs that speak to this value of slower fashion, such as care and repair tutorial videos, we promote our ReNew program and offer these products in store and make sure that at every touch point, customers see the value in our products and in the work we are trying to do. Essentially, we make the ELK experience about more than just how you look.
What are you most proud of when you look at the journey of ELK so far – and what’s still on the horizon?
There is so much to be proud of. ELK has strengthened and grown into a respected, responsible brand. We have built a community of like-minded individuals and a team who care about the impact of their choices. We have realised the far-reaching effects of our work as our Sustainability Action Plans (SAP’s) have had a positive influence overseas with some suppliers, and also for the influence that our Transparency Reports have had on other brands and educators in fashion and other industries.
As for what’s next, gaining B Corp certification was a great achievement and now we are excited to continue innovating, improving our efforts, and expanding our reach. We would like to see more ELK stores open and to realise more potential from ELK pre-loved product through our ReNew label, and of course, all of this while maintaining the integrity of what we have built.
If you could challenge one industry norm or misconception about sustainable fashion, what would it be – and why?
Fashion brands that work like we do still have an environmental impact. Buying from us or a similar brand is a more responsible choice but it doesn’t make it “sustainable” so I would push for this word to be better understood. New laws are coming to tackle the extensive greenwashing not only in fashion which is so important.
Shop their beautiful collection here.
