How do you go from studying political science at Yale University to landing a job as assistant to Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour? Rey Vakili was on track to becoming a lawyer but a chance encounter and a ‘say yes’ attitude led to her to living the Devil Wears Prada dream! She's now the Managing Director of LTK Australia, the largest influencer marketing platform in the world, that allows content creators to monetise their content through shoppable links, global collaborations and their LTK Shop. Host Elle Ferguson talks to Rey about how being an assistant let her see every aspect of the fashion industry and its influence on everything, why LTK are a pioneer in the creator economy and why any time you feel like you want to quit you should just work harder!

How do you go from running a PR agency for 15 years to creating the world's best lip balm using a by-product from sheep's wool? Founder and CEO of Lanolips Kirsten Carriol sits down with Elle Ferguson to share how she grew up surrounded by the smell and feel of lanolin on her family sheep farm in South Australia and why she refused to take shortcuts to create an iconic skincare product adored by Gigi Hadid, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kim Kardashian. *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories of how the idea for the brand came to Kirsten in a taxi in Paris, how Lanolips was initially launched with quirky and kitsch branding and the importance of just diving in and taking a risk without over-thinking!

Kirsten Carriol - from life on a sheep farm to creating the Gigi Hadid's favourite lip balm

When Film and MTV Director Georgie Greville and Beauty Editor and E-Style host Zanna Roberts Rassi met by chance at NYC creative hub Milk Studios, their lives and careers changed forever! Co-Founders of Milk Makeup Zanna and Georgie share with host Elle Ferguson how their incredible clean and multifunctional makeup brand was born out of the same studio that Kanye dropped an album and countless other incredible creatives made magic; and how they successfully presented their product deck to Sephora with no product to speak of! Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about what it’s like to experience imposter syndrome in a room with Jen Atkin, Charlotte Tilbury and Anastasia, why tapping into what the world needs along with what you deeply care about will give energy and longevity to your idea, and why energy is everything!

Milk Makeup - the brainchild of creative powerhouses Georgie Greville and Zanna Roberts Rassi

How do you go from being a professional dancer touring the world with the likes of Beyonce and dancing on The Great Gatsby, to becoming a highly sought-after Pilates instructor training incredible clients like Kaia Gerber? Elle Ferguson sits down with Co-Founder and Director of The Pilates Class, Jacqui Kingswell to find out how her love of movement started when she was just three years old and how the knowledge she gained through spending her life in the studio inspired her to create her business.*Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about Jacqui teaching hip hop to Indigenous kids in remote communities across Australia, how she was quick to pivot her business and take her studio classes online when Covid hit, and how she learns from her career failures - no matter how big they seem at the time!

Jacqui Kingswell - from professional dancer to pilates queen

With clients like Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Oprah, Madonna, Elle Macpherson and Kim Kardashian, it’s no surprise that Anastasia Soare is hailed as the iconic Eyebrow Queen! The CEO and Founder ofAnastasia Beverly Hills shares with host Elle Ferguson how she worked 18 hour days as a beauty therapist in a new country before starting an eyebrow category that didn't exist in the beauty business, and why creating her signature products fulfilled her ambition to have a global presence for everyone to experience her brand. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of how Anastasia started from zero and got ahead of the trends from the beginning, even when no one believed eyebrows would be anything, how she developed her Golden Ratio eyebrow shaping method to accentuate each person's facial features and why she has her sights set on doing the Queen's eyebrows!

Anastasia Soare - from beauty therapist to iconic celebrity Eyebrow Queen

Rey Vakili - from Yale graduate to Anna Wintour's assistant

How do you go from interning at fashion magazines to becoming Beyoncé's personal stylist? Emmy Award-Winning costume designer Zerina Akers shares with host Elle Ferguson how she went from working in retail fitting rooms to assisting in styling commercial shoots for Avon and Macy's, to landing Beyoncé as her first client! Zerina shares why she founded Black Owned Everything, a marketplace providing a space for Black designers to be recognised and why it’s so important to shine the light on emerging artists. *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about how Zerina came to style the iconic black topper hat look for Beyonce's ‘Formation’ video, the power of creating something to leave a lasting legacy as a symbol and not just an outfit, and how she had to prove herself when nobody knew who she was!

Zerina Akers - from fashion closet intern to Beyonce's stylist

How do you go from being a video editor to creating an iconic Byron Bay fashion label loved by global celebrities? Co-founder of Spell, Lizzy Abegg shares with host Elle Ferguson why she joined forces with her sister to create the brand, how her childhood of creativity paved the way to becoming a natural storyteller and why she was never interested in fashion! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of the brand starting out at local markets before using social media to create a straight-to-consumer product, why not knowing the rules meant they didn’t have to follow any, and the valuable lessons the brand learnt from public failure!

Lizzy Abegg - from video editor to fashion label founder

How do you go from growing up in a small coastal town to creating fine jewellery that is worn and loved by Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Miley Cyrus and the Kardashian sisters? Founder and Creative Director of jewellery label BabyAnything Lucie Ferguson shares with her sister, host Elle Ferguson where her passion for crafting fine jewellery began and how she takes inspiration from their mum's creativity and the world around her. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Lucie growing with her original market stall customers and why she creates pieces imbued with meaning and talismans for your life journey, how she channeled her immense grief into creating a thriving business, and why she hid in a storeroom when Alanis Morissette came into her store to meet her!

Lucie Ferguson - from coastal living to making jewellery for the stars

Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Heather Graham, J-Lo and Dua Lipa are just some of the celebs that have worn iconic brand Monday Swimwear. CEO & Co-founder Tash Oakley shares with host Elle Ferguson how she went from running a hugely successful blog with her best friend, to combining her love of fashion and celebrating women to create a bikini brand that’s taken the world by storm! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of why Tash believes in being both a pretty blonde in a swimsuit and a serious businesswoman building her portfolio with Monday Swimwear, The Pilates Class and Emma Pills jewellery, the importance of complete trust and respect in a business partnership with her best friend, and how she responded when a 60 Minutes host asked her salary! 

Tash Oakley - from bikini influencer to CEO and entrepreneur

How do you go from being a 17-year-old high school student to co-founding a global cult make-up brand? Co-Founder of Nudestix, Taylor Frankel shares with host Elle Ferguson how the brand tapped into the needs of women craving easy-to-use products that don’t take hours to apply, and why sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith, listen to your mum and look at how real women are doing beauty! *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories of how Taylor maintained confidence as the youngest person in a board room, why she believes in the concept of simplicity and less-is-more for both skin and the environment, and how a moment in Hilary Duff's bathroom led to a dream brand collaboration!

Taylor Frankel - from 17 year old student to make-up brand boss

Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Christian Dior are just a few of the iconic brands that supermodel Miranda Kerr has represented, not to mention being Australia's first Victoria's Secret Angel! Host Elle Ferguson chats to Miranda about how she grew up modestly in a country town with a strong family value of 'health is wealth,' and why her passion for wellness led her to launch her clean skincare brand KORA Organics. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains insights into how Miranda deals with imposter syndrome, why her grandparents influenced her love of crystals and all things wellness, and the importance of asking for help when you need it!

Miranda Kerr - from Victoria's Secret Angel to organic skincare pioneer

Tezza Barton is an all-round powerhouse; not only as the Founder and CEO of Tezza, the world-renowned photo and video editing app that brings her photography and social media expertise to the masses, but also as an incredible creative director and photographer. Tezza shares with host Elle Ferguson how she moved from a small town in Utah to New York to share her love of storytelling and photography, and how shooting campaigns for free led to working with international fashion brands like Chloe! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of why Tezza believes the more you share the more you grow, great advice on cultivating good relationships and remembering that there will always be someone younger and cooler coming through, and what it was like when Gigi Hadid posted the first photo of her baby using the Tezza app! 

Tezza Barton - from shooting campaigns for free to Gigi Hadid using your app

How do you go from being a TV news reporter covering the biggest stories across the country to creating Australia's first invisible over-makeup sunscreen mist? Founder of cult skincare brand Naked Sundays, Samantha Brett shares with host Elle Ferguson how she went from interning in a New York newsroom to writing a hugely successful dating and relationships column that turned into a series of best-selling books; and why her time as a reporter for Seven News and Sunrise was the catalyst for creating her beauty brand! Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories about how Sam found the determination to prove herself when everyone around her didn't believe she could do it, how she used clever market research to find out what her customers were after and the incredible advice Meghan Markle and Arianna Huffington gave her! 

Samantha Brett - from news reporter to cult skincare brand

How do you go from being a model and musician to creating a hugely popular fashion blog, before becoming a renowned designer of a must-have clothing label? Host Elle Ferguson chats to Founder and Chief Creative Officer Anine Bing about how she built a global fashion house with timeless wardrobe-essentials and luxury investment pieces to find out how her humble online business went from her LA garage to requests from celebrity stylists - to hundreds of stores worldwide! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of how a closet cleanout led Anine to sell all the clothes in her wardrobe and inspired the idea of the brand, why her career mantra is ' you know when you know' and the power of having a great team and being inspired by everything around you!

Anine Bing - from humble garage launch to global sensation

How do you go from working in the family wine business in Napa Valley to creating a cult luxury skincare brand? Founder and CEO of Vintner’s Daughter April Gargiulo shares with host Elle Ferguson how she transferred her expertise in sourcing high-quality ingredients, thoughtful craftsmanship and a refusal to take shortcuts to create an incredible skincare product. *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about April buying expensive skincare in her 20's while her girlfriends were buying Fendi handbags, why the brand doesn't do marketing and why she believes ‘fewer and better’ is best for both skin and the environment!

April Gargiulo - from wine-maker to luxury skincare creator

Spending time at a silent retreat in Mexico inspired Laura May to create the luxury fashion and lifestyle brand Nagnata. She combined her love of quality fabrics and passion for sustainability into the iconic brand where she is now the CEO and Creative Director. Laura May shares with host Elle Ferguson how her experience as a fashion designer and stints working all over the world inspired her to create a knitwear aesthetic that has taken the world by storm! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Laura May interning with Alexander Wang, how she spotted an opportunity to shake up the industry and challenge fast fashion and how a meeting with a Net a Porter buyer in London led to a huge order that skyrocketed the business! 

Laura May – from setting trends to designing the ultimate cool-girl movement wear

How do you go from being a lifestyle blogger to a TV and YouTube host, before taking the leap to create a hugely successful beauty brand? Marianna Hewitt shares with host Elle Ferguson how she took her love of beauty products and knowledge of her followers' interests and created her brand Summer Fridays, and what it was like to have to prove herself as one of the first influencer-founded beauty brands! Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories about Marianna's love of sharing her knowledge and network to inspire others and why there's enough room for everyone to succeed, why spending too much time on Instagram blocks creativity and why it's so important to stop and celebrate every achievement!

Marianna Hewitt - from lifestyle blogger to beauty brand founder

How do you go from interning at Teen Vogue to being a star on the phenomenally successful TV shows 'The Hills' and 'The City'? For Whitney Port, the passion for fashion began early with her love of all things vintage, before it was cool! Whitney shares with host Elle Ferguson her amazing journey from being the original nice girl-next-door with an impeccable sense of style, to starting her own successful clothing line COZeCO. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories about why Whitney felt like she wasn't meant for reality TV, how she handled not being taken seriously as a fashion designer, her favourite all time outfits and some amazing advice about why it's so important to reframe failure as a chance to grow! 

Whitney Port - from reality tv star to fashion designer

Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Triangl Erin Deering came up with the idea for the phenomenal swimwear brand on a second date with the brand Co-Founder, and it wasn't long before they quit their jobs, sold everything they had and moved overseas and set up the business! Erin shares with host Elle Ferguson how she took a risk to follow an incredible opportunity and why she's now walked away from a stellar career to pursue her passion in mental health and wellness. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Erin eating tinned tuna dinners to get by in Hong Kong, why being customer-centric and obsessed with the psychology of what attracts people to a product is priceless and when she knew it was time to back herself and go out on her own!

Erin Deering - from bikini designer to wellness entrepreneur

How do you go from a job marketing major global brands, to taking the leap to build your own brand and creating some of the most stylish fitness accessories in the world? Co-Founder and CEO of Bala Natalie Holloway shares with Host Elle Ferguson how the idea for her fashion-forward fitness products came about after a yoga retreat, a big dream and a sketch on the back of a napkin! *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about what it's like to have all the sharks vying to be your partner on Shark Tank, when Natalie knew it was time to shake up the outdated 80's style weights and add some fun to working out, and why it’s so important to stay true to your brand vision even when everyone else is trying to copy you!

Natalie Holloway - from marketing exec to fashion-forward fitness brand

How do you go from being Kim Kardashian's executive assistant and KKW Brands' Chief Operating Officer, to an environmental advocate passionate about inspiring change? Steph Shep sits down with Host Elle Ferguson to share how she's lived 100 different lives and why she uses her climate education platform Future Earth, to educate millions on how to blend luxury lifestyle and conscious consumerism. *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about how Steph went from sleeping on couches in LA to dancing for Pitbull and Havana Brown, what it was like going on tour for Erika Girardi and why getting fired isn't always the worst!

 

 

Steph Shep - from go-go dancer to earth warrior

Global celebrity and editorial hair stylist Travis Balcke went from waiting tables in a Gold Coast restaurant to doing the hair of some of the world's biggest names, but it wasn't all easy! Travis sits down with host Elle Ferguson to talk about why he took a leap into an industry he knew nothing about, how blindly saying 'yes' landed him a job with Lady Gaga and why it's so important to back yourself, even when no one else does. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Travis turning up day after day to a job he didn't actually have, what it's like to work with Kanye and how you know you're in the right field when things come easily to you!

Travis Balcke - from waiting tables to styling Lady Gaga

How do you go from working at a hardware store in Australia to starting a hugely successful clothing label, before becoming the VP of influencer marketing for Who What Wear in LA? For Rachel Zeilic, it was all a natural career progression! Rachel chats to host Elle Ferguson about how she started off as a law school graduate with no fashion knowledge and how her passion for affordable high-end fashion lead her to create several successful clothing lines with Revolve. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Rachel walking away from her career at the height of her success and how it led to an incredible door opening, how her knowledge of both influencers and brands allows her to create amazing campaigns for hundreds of clients, and why it's so important to launch without being perfect!

 

 

Rachel Zeilic - from law school grad to fashion mastermind

Celebrity hair stylist Alex Brown grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota with big city dreams, and a leap of faith landed her the job of a lifetime! Alex shares with host Elle Ferguson how she went from working in a small salon in Chicago to jumping at an incredible opportunity to move to LA and work with Jen Atkin, flying across the country to do hair for the Grammys, Oscars and a-list events in between; and why she walked away from an incredible jet-setting career to go it alone. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Alex getting a life-changing phone call while hiking at the top of Runyon canyon, when she knew it was time to back herself and go out on her own and what it's like to do Justin Beiber's personal grooming!

Alex Brown - from small-town girl to A-list stylist

Making the leap from teacher to Celebrity Make Up Artist isn’t a typical career path for most, but for Tobi Henney it was the best decision she ever made! Tobi sits down with host Elle Ferguson to share why she left her stable career to pursue her passion in New York working with the likes of Ashley Graham, Barbara Palvin, Ellie Golding and Poppy Delevigne, why rejection can often be a good thing and how she knew to back herself and just take the leap! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Tobi flying to Bulgaria to do Megan Fox's movie makeup, what it was like to work on-set at Saturday Night Live with Sara Bareilles and Kit Harington, and some great advice about the importance of staying authentic and surrounding yourself with good people in order to succeed!

Tobi Henney - from school teacher to celebrity make-up artist

Working on the pages of fashion bibles Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, ELLE and GRAZIA with some of the worlds biggest celebrities, it's clear to see why Max May is considered a hugely influential Hair and Makeup Artist! Elle Ferguson sits down with Max to find out how his creative flair and natural talent for art helped launched him into the industry despite having no interest in hair and makeup when he started out, and how moving into digital with his beauty blog MaxMade and master classes propelled his brand globally. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Max getting a cortisone shot to keep him going on an 18 hour photo shoot, how he bounced back after a Vogue fashion editor shut-down his makeup look and why he uses his platform to share knowledge and educate others breaking into the industry!

Max May - from styling friends to doing hair and makeup for the stars

With celebrities like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jen Atkin and Hailey Bieber singing her praises, it’s no surprise that Gab Waller is the go-to girl to find any must-have designer piece that’s sold out worldwide! Gab is an Australian Luxury Personal Shopper whose product sourcing service has put her on speed dial for celebrity clients and fashion fans around the world. Host Elle Ferguson sits down with Gab to find out how she came to run a global business in an industry that didn’t even exist a couple of years ago, how answering a DM from Rosie Hunting-Whitely propelled her to international fame and why finding ‘needle in the haystack’ pieces are her favourite. *Spoiler alert* This episode contains stories about how Gab went from growing up in a five-shop town to tracking down sold out Bottega's and rare vintage Chanel bags, how she had to prove herself when nobody knew who she was and why being kind is such an important part of her business!

Gab Waller – from op shopping to luxury fashion bounty hunter

How do you go from braiding hair on a beach to styling the Kardashians' hair? For Beauty Influencer and Celebrity Hairstylist Justine Marjan it definitely wasn't a traditional career path, but she is now a leader in the industry styling the Hollywood elite. Justine shares with host Elle Ferguson how she went from working as a salon receptionist to landing her dream job in celebrity and editorial styling, creating some of the most iconic and trendsetting looks backstage at fashion week and on the red carpet. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains boss babe stories of Justine navigating a male-dominated field to lead shows backstage, what it was like to work under industry powerhouses Jen Atkin and Kristin Ess and some amazing advice about how to face your fears and take the leap into the unknown to make your dreams a reality! 

Justine Marjan - from beachside hair braiding to styling the Hollywood heavyweights

Making the leap from beautician to Founding Editor of a global magazine at 21 isn’t a typical career path for most, but it was the start of a life of reinvention for publishing icon Jackie Frank. Jackie sits down with host Elle Ferguson to share how she made the decision to publish powerful and confronting stories that hadn't been seen before in the pages of a glossy magazine like marie clare, how she helped pioneer paid maternity leave in Australia and why she walked away from an iconic magazine and into the world of digital to create Be Frank Group. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of lobbyists campaigning to remove Jackie as Editor, why she put her New York dreams on hold to take the lead at marie clare and advice about the importance of staying curious, authentic and moving with the world as it rapidly changes!

Jackie Frank – from beautician to publishing icon at 21

Kristie Dash is a big part of a platform you probably spend hours a day scrolling through - Instagram; where she helps brands and influencers truly stand out as the Fashion and Beauty Partnerships Manager. Kristie shares with host Elle Ferguson her amazing journey of being a dancer from a small town to moving to New York to intern at Vogue, Teen Vogue and Harper's Baazar before landing a job with Eva Chen at Lucky Magazine - and all this before making the leap to the incredible world of Instagram at just 26! *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of a chance encounter that led Kristie to organise clothes on an Italian Vogue shoot for Kanye West, advice on how to find confidence when you're the youngest (and blondest!) person in the room, and some amazing tips and tricks about Instagram!

Kristie Dash - from small town dancer to Instagram leader at just 26

Designer and Founder of Paolo Sebastian, Paul Vasileff has truly made his mark in the fashion industry with his unique one-off couture designs. Paul took his dreams of being a fashion designer from South Australia all the way to Paris and Milan, only to come back to Adelaide and build a global brand worn by celebrities around the world. Host Elle Ferguson sits down with Paul to find out how he went from making his friends formal dresses at age 11 to establishing his own couture brand at just 17. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of Paul making dresses from wrapping paper at age 3, the shock of receiving a phone call from a real life Disney princess and how he dealt with the imposter syndrome of being awarded Young Australian of the year!

Paul Vasileff - from making formal dresses at 11 to designing Oscar red carpet gowns

Celebrity make-up artist Ash K Holm works with the Kardashians, Lana del Ray, Ariana Grande and Bebe Rexha to name a few, but her life hasn't always been so glamorous! Ash shares with host Elle Ferguson her incredible story of how she went from doing wedding makeup at MAC Cosmetics in a Texas shopping mall and memorising all the product ingredients, to flying across the country and becoming one of the best makeup artists in the world. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains stories of how Ash pretended to be her own agent before making it big in the industry, some amazing advice about bouncing back after missing out on your dream job and the power of perseverance, a never give up attitude and a strong power stance!

Ash K Holm - from working the MAC counter to doing Ariana Grande's makeup

With clients like Chrissy Teigen, Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid and the Kardashians, it’s no surprise that the New York Times named Jen Atkin the most influential hair stylist in the world!  Jen shares with host Elle Ferguson her incredible journey from sweeping floors in LA hair salons, to flying around the globe styling the world’s biggest celebrities, to starting her own successful haircare brand ‘Ouai’. *Spoiler Alert* This episode contains some amazing advice from Kris Jenner, boss babe stories of Jen sneaking into backstage at Paris Fashion week and a hell of a lot of resilience from someone determined to make it!

Jen Atkin - from sweeping salon floors to styling the Kardashians

Australian Influencer and beauty brand Founder Elle Ferguson talks to inspirational people from the world of fashion and beauty, about the sliding-door moment when they decided to take a chance and turn their passion into their career. They share the incredible stories of what they’ve learned along the way, how they set aside their doubts or fears, and give their best advice for you to take the leap into your own dream career, whatever that might be.

Sliding Doors with Elle Ferguson - Coming March 31st

Home

Discover

Sign up for free to listen for longer

Home

Discover

Sign up for free to listen for longer

Rey Vakili - from Yale graduate to Anna Wintour's assistant

Mark as played

Share

About the episode

View all episodes