Elle Ferguson on longevity, Paris, and Ksubi Volume II
Last week, we played host to something special: the launch of Ksubi x Elle: Volume II, a collection exclusive to Superette in New Zealand. Australian fashion icon, and the vision behind the capsule, Elle Ferguson joined Remix’s Fashion Director, Amber Baker, for an intimate conversation on collaboration, creativity, and the evolution of modern denim.
You were building a platform with They All Hate Us back in the mid-2000s, long before influencer was a word anyone used. What’s the discipline behind staying relevant across so many eras?
Back then, there was no blueprint or commercial strategy—just an absolute obsession with personal style. You have to separate trend from identity. A lot of people get caught up chasing whatever the internet tells them to wear that week, but longevity comes from discipline. Beneath the effortless look is a very clear strategy: staying hyper-consistent, knowing your core style, and treating your taste as a real business asset.
You go way back with Ksubi as a customer—cutting up your own denim in the 2000s—and last year you keynoted the Forbes Australia Business Summit. What’s it like designing for a brand you were once obsessed with buying?
Designing for Ksubi is a total pinch-me moment. Moving from content creator to speaking at Forbes feels like a natural evolution. It proves that building an enduring brand over decades isn't just about cute outfits—it takes genuine business strategy.
Volume I was classic Bondi cool-girl. Volume II filters that through Paris. Walk us through that shift.
Volume I was home—quintessential Australian beach-meets-streetwear. For Volume II, I filtered that effortless Bondi foundation through a Parisian lens. It’s about taking relaxed denim and giving it structure, pairing raw jeans with tailored leather or a sculptural blazer for dinner.
What was something about sitting in the room with Ksubi's technical design team that surprised you coming from a content background?Translating an abstract feeling or a vintage reference into technical specs! Going back and forth on millimetres, fabric weights, seam placements, and wash formulas to get a fit to hang just right is an intense, highly technical process, but so rewarding when you hold the final sample.
The centrepiece of the collection is the Boyfriend Jean in your custom Frenchie Blue wash, complete with that signature red ribbon. If someone goes into Superette tomorrow, why is this the hero piece to grab?
Nailing an authentic vintage mid-blue is the hardest thing in design—we went through endless rounds of wash testing to create that holy-grail, broken-in pair you spend years hunting for at a flea market. It’s engineered to frame the waist while keeping that slouched, cool silhouette, making it the ultimate everyday anchor. The red ribbon threaded through the belt loops comes straight out of my own closet—it’s a personal styling trick I've used for years to instantly elevate plain denim.
How do you want someone to feel the second they put on a piece from Volume II?
Like the absolute coolest, most effortless version of themselves.
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