Elsa Hosk’s Universe: From Supermodel To Fashion Mogul

Call it a Scandi Summer or the Elsa effect. (Or both.) If it feels like Elsa Hosk and her fashion brand Helsa Studio are everywhere you turn these days, that’s because they are.

But it’s more than the Scandinavian mystique that seems to be charming the fashion set. As one of her generation’s most popular supermodels, Hosk currently boasts 8.7 million people following her every move on Instagram.

Today it’s not enough to be a supermodel or simply a content creator to cultivate a following and become a household name — Hosk is flexing her muscles as an entrepreneur with an ever-expanding empire, while catering to a massive online audience.

On July 15th, Hosk’s tenth Helsa drop (called “Scandi Summer”) launched on Revolve and Fwrd, and her Erewhon smoothie of the same name was released. A few days later, a Skims campaign called “Milky Sheer,” starring the larger than life model, graced social feeds.

Helsa Studio was first released in September 2022 in collaboration with Revolve Group, and launched on the popular e-tailer and Fwrd’s official e-commerce sites. It’s inspired by her Swedish heritage — “a love letter to Scandinavia — “and is built on simplicity, comfort and minimalism. (Helsa is a play on the Swedish word for health, hälsa.)

Hosk, originally from Stockholm, gained international acclaim on the world stage as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, but it’s as the founder of the fashion phenomenon (and always viral) Helsa Studio that she has truly found her calling.

“I’m made for this,” Hosk shared. “I think modeling was the stepping stone — it’s something that I didn’t choose or set out to do, and I was trying to learn as much as possible for this part of my life that I’m currently focusing on. So yes, I was always meant to do this.”

Hosk was discovered in her native Sweden and started modeling at the age of 14 — she was always passionate about fashion and sewing clothing. (Her mom knew how to design and sew, and Hosk recalls making a corduroy blazer as early as age 12. She always found inspiration by taking copies of Vogue Russia from her friend’s mother.)

Today, Hosk is Helsa Studio’s only full-time employee — she is involved in every aspect of the brand, from conception and design, to execution, strategy and branding.

Helsa has maintained strong triple digit growth for the past two years and continues to grow aggressively. The drops continue to sell out on both Revolve and Fwrd and have viral standout pieces that sell out within minutes of going live.

Her recent drop follows the same successful momentum. It was shot on an island in Sweden where Hosk grew up, and was inspired by nature and the setting’s colors.

“There’s definitely something going on right now in the industry and culture where it’s clicking,” Hosk shares. “I think people also dream of a place that is clean, organic and idyllic. It’s a dream. I also think anything that’s authentic is going to work. I think we see that in celebrity brands today — when it’s not authentic, people are just not going to buy or support it.”

In the ultimate seal of celebrity approval, Erewhon teamed up with Hosk to create the limited edition “Blueberry Cobbler Scandi Summer” smoothie.

Sustainability and a love for the earth are key principles of the brand — without greenwashing. But the biggest way Hosk is committed to sustainability is that Helsa is far from fast fashion.

“It’s actually extremely slow!” Hosk states. “My brain is always thinking ahead to the trends while trying to stay timeless, because it’s not fast enough to be considered fast fashion. We start working on a drop about a year before it drops — we don’t turn things around fast.”

The ultimate perfectionist, Hosk always designs with an eye towards the trends, and ensures that quality and fit are never compromised.

“I still wear those pieces, from the first drop two years ago,” Hosk shares. “That was also the point — to create items that are timeless and not only based on trends, because that’s how I like to shop.”

Earlier this summer, Hosk collaborated with brand-with-buzz Heavy Manners on a swimsuit line.

The Elsa Hosk x Heavy Manners collection debuted eight new swimwear prints (prints are what Heavy Manners is known for), inspired and chosen from vintage archives, along with two metallic solids.

Hosk has been a supporter of Heavy Manners and its founder, Lisa Caprio, since its December 2019 launch. The two female founders have developed an authentic and organic friendship.

“We connected over Instagram,” Hosk shares. “We just said, ‘Let’s do something together’. It was so spontaneous, fun and easy.”

As for what’s ahead for Hosk: Helsa has three more drops this year (September, November and December).

“I’m so excited for the next phase of Helsa,” Hosk shares. “It takes time to find your path, for any creative. Once you have some confidence while you’re doing something that you love, it just gets easier from there.”