F L A T I R O N Women | Elise Elliott
We get to know them a little more and invite you to do so as well!
Today, we speak with FLATIRON WOMAN Elise Elliott.
When Elise Elliott walked through the doors of our flagship FLATIRON store, she brought with her an undeniable exuberance and a heart of gold. From that day our relationship has grown organically.
A not so secret rev-head, it's no surprise Elise is one of Australia’s few women motoring journalists. Elise is fearless, fresh and is breaking new ground in Belle Magazine's 'Driving with Designers'. Collaborating with her in this regular series has been a natural beautiful fit. We have such admiration and respect for her attitude to life.
When not driving fast cars or shackled to her computer, you’ll find Elise out on the waves with her Mini Mal, indulging in her latest passion, surfing.
Read on and learn as we have; this is a woman who can talk the “torque”!
Photography: Tim O’Connor for Belle Magazine
I am... Elise Elliott. Journalist. Presenter. Writer. Rev-head. Surfer. Skier. Mum.
A day in my life is... Either test-driving fast cars — or driving cars fast — when running late to school pick up!
I’m enjoying the leap from TV to radio and podcast work. Gone are the days, however, you could schlepp into the radio studio in your trackie dacks. All programs are now live streamed!
My greatest career highlight has been... Fanging a McLaren GT, in the snow, around Belgium’s famous race track, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Or taking my 90-year-old digger uncle back to PNG and crossing Kokoda Track for a documentary as a tribute to our war heroes.
What's in your daily wardrobe? Heels & Wheels! I have a weakness for high heels and classic cars and it’s quite an art driving a manual in vertiginous shoes!
My style can be described as... I have to confess, I panic when an invitation says “smart casual”. My friends tease me about the massive sartorial hole in my wardrobe. On one end are glamorous dresses and heels for both MC work and high-end photo shoots as well as well-cut leather pieces for car filming; at the other end is a row of wet wetsuits and my beloved Uggies.
This is why I covet The FLATIRON Label. Design dynamic duo, Pen and Sam, have introduced me to a world of understated style. It has been my go-to label for Belle Magazine motoring shoots. Designers I feature often compliment me on my hand-touched and thoughtfully created FLATIRON pieces.
On a day off you'll find me in... A wetsuit out on the waves!
In-store shopping or online. And why? No question I prefer in-store shopping. I appreciate the visceral appeal of feeling fabrics, trying on clothes for size and having a very talented team suggesting pieces.
I’ll never forget Simone McDonald dressing me for a Belle magazine photo shoot. She pulled out the Native Pepper Bomber in dark green and the Wattle Seed Suit Pants in black. She stood back, surveyed the ensemble, then added the chunky Scarab ring hand sculpted by Reema Elassaad for a dramatic flourish. Be still my beating heart! In the style stakes my outfit nearly eclipsed the 1960s black Jaguar I was featuring.
My favourite element of The FLATIRON Label is... To me The FLATIRON Label embodies enduring, effortless elegance. Coco Chanel said: "Fashion changes, but style endures” — a quote that should be attributed to this label.
My favourite The FLATIRON Label pieces are... All of the pieces are considered keepsakes. On high rotation are: The Relaxed Jacket in every hue, the Bergamont Vest on its own for a date night or over a white linen shirt for on the airwaves and my Winter staple the Blackseed Coat.
Podcasts or Playlists? Which is your favourite at the moment and why? Well I should say podcast as I’m on one with my husband, Tom Elliott, called “The Elliott Exchange”. But nothing beats a daggy mix tape. I still have dozens of cassettes with some serious questionable compilations on them!
Red wine or black coffee? What’s your vice? I have a weakness for both! Is that bad?...
For more low key my local The Napier. A true inner-city pub. Can’t go past the ‘roo salad and a glass of house Pinot.
If you didn’t live inner-city Melbourne where would you live, and why? Anywhere I can hear the sound of waves at night.
What advice would you give your 20-year old self? The advice my 12-year-old daughter gives me now: To surround myself with “bucket fillers” — people who are positive, kind and uplifting. To unlock the inner “kidult” — the kid trapped inside us all. It’s so very liberating to find the fun, freedom, silliness and joy in life. Why be jaded when you can shine like a diamond? Finally, be valiant. My own daughter rides life’s big waves with grace and courage. When she’s literally and figuratively dumped, she comes up for air and keeps paddling.
