My Melbourne: Marnie Goding

Marnie Goding is the co-founder and owner of Melbourne label, Elk. The label designs original, contemporary fashion, accessories, hand crafted leather goods and footwear, but life wasn’t always about fashion for Marnie.

“I have had an unusual path to get to where I am today. I have always had a marketing head. I commenced a career in an events role at the National Gallery of Victoria and was then head hunted to join a team at Melbourne Zoo. Throughout my time there I always craved more creativity and so found ways to incorporate this into daily work life.”

The rest, as they say, is history. From Elk’s inception, Marnie has always pushed herself to discover new materials and different ways to make affordable accessories and fashion.

What inspires you about Melbourne?

Our city and the people in it are a constant source of inspiration. There is always something going on, and everyone has something interesting to do, see or a place to go. I live in a beautiful place and try as much as I can to get among it. I particularly love the ballet, the food scene and galleries. If only there were more hours in the day!

Melbourne is Australia’s fashion capital and we love to embrace the changing seasons in what we wear. What are the ultimate must-have autumn accessories?

For our Autumn Winter 2018 Collection – Solace, we have a range of amazing knits in a variety of textures and bold colours to mix with our apparel, footwear and accessories. We really are spoiled for choice. I have always loved that Melbourne has distinct seasons. As a designer, it provides endless creative inspiration, so layering is something I like to focus on when designing and styling.

Do you have a favourite season for fashion in Melbourne and why?

Winter, definitely. I love the beach but am not a sun seeker, so layering up in winter with knits, boots and denim is perfect for me. Melbourne is geared well for all weather, but I am happy beside a fire somewhere cosy.

Tell us what you’re wearing when you’re not decked out by Elk.

I wear mostly Australian and New Zealand labels like Assembly Label and Kow Tow, but I’m lucky to have a warehouse full of Elk at my disposal, so there isn’t much room in my closet for anything else.

Tell us a little about your local customers. What do the regulars look for when they come into the Elk store in Preston?

Not only our Preston locals but all Elk customers are looking for good quality, design-focused products they can wear and wear. We aren’t trend driven and make everything as accessible as possible. A large number of our regular customers have been coming to us since we started in 2004. We pride ourselves on customer service and really love to welcome people into our store and treat them like family. We love our regular and new customers dropping by for a shop and chat with the store team. We love seeing their passion for the brand and excitement every time a new range arrives, and we see them return multiple times a season. Having parking at the front of the store also means they can pop in quickly to buy gifts or just to fill in a spare 10 minutes browsing. We are very lucky.

Marnie's Melbourne Picks

Coffee At Umberto Espresso Bar in Thornbury, Marco and his father make strong, Italian-style coffee in a relaxed, friendly and unpretentious environment. It is not too bitter and always the perfect temperature.

Bar Cumulus Up is a beautiful space designed for drinks with great bar food as a bonus. It’s not too big, too loud or too boisterous. You feel like you can catch up with friends and be among it without yelling.

Dinner Embla is amazing — wood-fired delicacies, amazing cheeses, a fantastic wine list, awesome service and a cosy banquette for colder nights.

Casual drinks For great music, a sensational wine list and amazingly tasty bar food, I love Gerald’s Bar in Carlton North. It has the best pâté in Melbourne.

Hidden gem Tucked away in Fitzroy and is one of the best cocktail bars Melbourne has to offer. The staff at The Everleigh make up recipes based on the ingredients you like, and I have never been disappointed. It’s well worth seeking out.

Preston’s best-kept secret I’m biased, of course, but the original Elk shop in Preston is a secret our local customers hold close to their hearts. Otherwise, Preston Market has remained unchanged for decades and it’s just as vibrant, diverse and noisy it ever was. Its Preston’s gem, a unique destination and somewhere we visit as often as we can.