Elsa Hosk wearing Helsa Studio’s “Scandi Summer” collection, photo by Maria & Louise Thornfeldt
Photo credit: Maria and Louise Thornfeldt
Call it Scandinavian summer or the Elsa effect (or both). If it feels like Elsa Hosk and her fashion brand, Helsa Studios, are everywhere these days, that’s because they are.
But it’s not just her Scandinavian mystique that’s captivating the fashion industry: Hosk is also one of the most popular supermodels of her generation, currently with 8.7 million followers on Instagram following her every move.
These days, it’s not enough to be a supermodel or content creator to gain popularity and fanbases: Hosk is also an entrepreneur with an ever-expanding empire catering to a massive online audience.
On July 15, Hosk’s 10th Hellsadrop (“Scandi Summer”) launched in Revolve and Fwrd, along with an Erewhon smoothie of the same name, and just days later, Skims’ “Milky Sheer” campaign, featuring larger-than-life models, 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 site. Inspired by her Swedish heritage, the brand is a “love letter to Scandinavia” and built on a foundation of simplicity, comfort and minimalism. (Helsa is a play on the Swedish word hälsa, which means health.)
The Stockholm-born Hosk gained international acclaim on the world stage as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, but she found her true calling as the founder of the fashion phenomenon (and ever-buzzworthy) Helsa Studio.
“I was born to do this,” Hosk said. “I think modeling was a stepping stone. It wasn’t something I chose or decided to do, but I was just trying to learn as much as I could for this part of my life that I’m focused on now. So, yeah, I was always born to do this.”
Hosk was discovered in her native Sweden and began modelling at the age of 14. She was always passionate about fashion and sewing clothes (her mother knew how to design and sew, and Hosk remembers making a corduroy blazer when she was 12; she was always getting copies of Russian Vogue from her friend’s mother for inspiration).
Today, Hosk is Herusa Studio’s sole full-time employee and is involved in all aspects 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. Drops continue to sell out at both Revolve and Fwrd, with some viral masterpieces selling out within minutes of release.
Her latest release continues that same momentum of success: the song was shot on the Swedish island where Hosk grew up, and was inspired by nature and the colors of the setting.
Elsa Hosk of Hersa Studio, Photo credit: Maria & Louise Thornfeldt
Photo credit: Maria and Louise Thornfeldt
“There’s definitely something going on in the industry and the culture right now,” Hosk says. “I think people are dreaming of clean, organic, utopian places. It’s a dream. I also think anything that’s authentic works. I think you can see that with any celebrity brand today. If it’s not authentic, people aren’t going to buy it or support it.”
As a token of celeb approval, Erewhon teamed up with Hosk to create a limited-edition “Blueberry Cobbler Scandi Summer” smoothie.
Sustainability and love for the planet are core values for the brand, without any greenwashing, but Hosk’s biggest focus on sustainability means Hersa is far from fast fashion.
“Very slowly, actually!” says Hosk. “I try to stay ahead of trends and keep my style timeless, because it’s not fast enough to be called fast fashion. We start working on products about a year before they’re going to be released. There’s no rush to get things done.”
An ultimate perfectionist, Hosk always designs with an eye on trends, ensuring that quality and fit are never compromised.
“I still wear pieces from the first drop two years ago,” Hosk says, “and the point was to create pieces that are timeless and not just trendy, because that’s how I shop.”
Earlier this summer, Hosk collaborated with buzzy brand Heavy Manners on a swimwear line.
The Elsa Hosk x Heavy Manners collection debuts eight new swimwear prints (Heavy Manners is known for its prints) and two metallic solids, all inspired and selected from the vintage archives.
Hosk has supported Heavy Manners and its founder Lisa Caprio since it launched in December 2019. The two female founders have developed a genuine and natural friendship.
“We connected on Instagram,” Hosk says, “and we just said, ‘Let’s do something together.’ It was very natural and fun and easy.”
Looking ahead to Hosk’s upcoming plans, Helsa is set to release three more times this year (September, November and December).
“I’m really excited about the next phase for Helsa,” says Hosk. “It takes time for any creator to find their path. Once you’re confident doing what you love, it gets easier from there.”
