Join us in celebrating two decades of ELK as we welcome the new season and express our thanks for your support over the past incredible 20 Years.

Journey with us as we revisit our most memorable milestones and reimagine iconic designs from the archives through a conscious fashion lens.

Throughout the season, we look forward to sharing our story as we rediscover the past, celebrate the present, and step into a more sustainable future together.

Back in 2004, Co-Founders, Marnie Goding and Adam Koniaras, partners in life and business, launched the ELK brand, starting with handcrafted jewellery making every piece themselves.

"The early days were quite erratic. We had fewer people who needed to be multi-skilled. It was fun and less serious but certainly more chaotic!" — Marnie Goding

From the very beginning, Marnie and Adam were passionate about working with ethical makers. They made a conscious decision to only work with like-minded people who shared their values.

"We made a promise to each other that, whenever possible, we would not work with anyone we could not visit or who would not allow us to ask even basic questions.

Once we started to travel, we learned so much. We saw how to scale production beyond our own workshop, discovering new techniques, and in turn, Adam was able to apply his technical skills to help their production. With some suppliers, we grew together whilst others were able to teach us through their experience.

Travelling to see our factories was a life-changing time for us. We met some of the most incredible people and their families." — Marnie Goding

In 2009, we created our first apparel collection. In 2012, prints were launched, quickly becoming what is now a signature aesthetic of the design ethos.

This was soon followed by the much-loved and ever-popular denim design, the Oslo jean. The first of many popular styles that today, make up much of our Core Essentials collection.

Each of these exciting milestones in ELK's growth marked significant achievements in our journey, while also increasing Marnie and Adam's awareness of their impact as a business.

"We wanted to share with our audience that we were aware of our impact and were evolving to meet this challenge. We wanted to communicate the need for everyone to start thinking about fashion as something we buy without considering the impact of our consumption." — Marnie Goding

In 2019, we launched our first annual Transparency Report, a document detailing how ELK operates as a fashion business. It serves as a public statement of our commitment to running a business with transparency, honesty and integrity, tracking our progress towards our 2025 goals.
View Our Transparency Report.

In recognition of ELK's focus on conscious fashion, we were awarded the 2019 Australian Fashion Laureate for Sustainable Innovation.

From the publication of our first Transparency Report, we defined ourselves as more than just a fashion brand. The brand and business became an example for a new way of thinking.

"The momentum for change has gained speed — shoppers today are ready and willing to talk about fashion's impact on the environment; they expect businesses to take accountability for their impact." — Marnie Goding

Our commitment to being more sustainable is holistic. At ELK HQ, we integrate a beehive, worm farms, and a stormwater tank alongside a custom-built, energy-efficient HVAC system.

At our Distribution Centre the team has proudly reduced waste by x

Since May 2021, ELK’s operations have been powered by 100% renewable electricity, with onsite solar covering 47% of our needs and the remainder sourced from 100% GreenPower.

Today, ELK has eight retail stores, the most recent addition being in Barwon Heads, a beautiful coastal area in the Bellarine Peninsula of Victoria, where Marnie, Adam, and their family call home.

In the next six months, two more stores will be opened in Victoria: one in Newtown and the other in Mornington.

In celebrating 20 years, we achieved another significant milestone with the launch of ELK (RE)NEW — a take-back program designed to extend the lifespan of ELK products while reducing their environmental impact.

"We are taking responsibility for our role in creating a circular economy by offering end-of-life solutions for our products to reduce textile waste." — Marnie Goding

We extend heartfelt thanks to our valued wholesalers and the ELK community for championing conscious fashion alongside us. Your support not only sustains us but inspires continual innovation and progress.

The ELK Team