GROOVY, VIBRANT, HAPPY, and funky! These are the words Ellē Nicole uses to describe her line of colorful and floral loungewear, inspired by her surroundings in the Pacific Northwest. The young entrepreneur has always been inspired by any and all things creative: drawing, painting, and crafting, to name a few.
Ellē turned away from the traditional “path to college” after graduating from high school in 2021. She started out by running a second-hand online thrift shop, hunting for clothes and reselling them. But the itch she had for something more wasn’t fulfilled.
“I wanted to start my own brand where I could evolve, grow, and constantly create; so Ellē Nicole was born,” she explains.
Photos Courtesy of Ellē Nicole
Social media has played a key role in the boutique’s success and helps spread the brand to individuals all over the world. The 20-year-old business owner started her brand two years ago and now has a following of over 66,000 on Instagram. Many of her followers are fellow young female entrepreneurs, and she shares that the support she receives from that community is like no other.
“There are so many insanely talented young girls chasing their dreams and starting businesses through social media. It’s really empowering and inspiring, and I am so happy to be a part of that community!” says Ellē.
Though the Ellē Nicole brand has seen great success, it has faced its fair share of challenges. One of Ellē’s best-selling products and first designs was the phrase “worryless,” molded in the shape of a heart and hand printed onto a comfy hoodie. The design was inspired by the designer’s own struggles and anxieties with overthinking and served as a reminder to worry less.
But of course, it wasn’t long before big-name corporations like Shein stole the design, and even used her photos, to sell it for less than half the original price. After months of selling the hoodie, the knock-offs led her to discontinue it—though she has considered bringing it back someday.
A huge misconception Ellē faces as a young entrepreneur is the assumption that her dad is a businessman, or her parents helped her start her brand. Though she assures that her parents are her biggest cheerleaders and she very likely gets her entrepreneurial spirit from them, she is solely responsible for every element of Ellē Nicole.
“I started this thing all on my own with my own money earned from other jobs and have built every aspect of it by myself. […] it’s frustrating sometimes when people just assume that this isn’t MY business when I have worked so hard to make it my very own,” she says.
Photos Courtesy of Ellē Nicole
One thing she’s learned in her first few years of business is that things rarely go as planned. Last year she was solely printing on apparel, and now she designs her own patterns to print and be manufactured—something she never planned for.
Yet, her biggest goal has remained the same: to open her own storefront. She emphasizes that she not only dreams of showcasing her own art, but also carrying the work of other small businesses, and even hosting workshops and classes.
“My goal would be for the storefront to become a place for the community to gather,” says Ellē. “A place for the dreamers, if you will!”
You can shop for Ellē Nicole products online, via Instagram, or from time to time in person.
Ellē periodically has a booth at markets in the Skagit Valley and Whatcom area, including Creative Avenue, Valley Made Market, and the Bellingham Makers Market. Bellingham, shopellenicole.com
Photos Courtesy of Ellē Nicole
Tips from Ellē Nicole!
• The best way to learn how to do something is to dive head first into it and figure it out as you go. I started my business with a couple hundred dollars and launched with one simple t-shirt design. I could have postponed starting my business for years if I waited for everything to be perfect, but I worked with what I had and am still learning as I go.
• Don’t dilute your vision just to fit into what “everyone likes;” there is a buyer for everything. True passion will always go further than simply creating something for a quick buck. Stay true to yourself and your vision, the right customers will find you and love you.
• Business never goes as planned so skip the business plan! This might be a controversial take, but in our ever-changing world there’s no way to predict the future. Have a general idea of what you want to create and where you want it to go, but be open minded to change. I have given myself and my business the freedom to evolve and in its own time it has grown in ways
I would’ve never imagined! Long story short, skip the business plan, start now, and be YOU!
