Haute under the collar: Top Aussie brand and OG influencer in legal stoush

One of the country’s top designers and an OG influencer are locked in a tense battle over unpaid work.

One of the country’s top designers and an OG influencer are in a tense battle over unpaid work.

Sunday Confidential can reveal cult label Ena Pelly and content creator Elle Ferguson are currently in a legal battle regarding unpaid invoices.

Ferguson first collaborated with the Melbourne brand in 2023, creating a hugely successful sold-out range.

Off the back of that success, the pair engaged in yet another x piece collaboration - branded 2.0 - which was shot in Paris in May 2024 and again, was received well and sold out for multiple stockists.

This prompted the brand to enlist Ferguson for a third time, to create another multiple piece range, which was to be branded 3.0.

Ferguson reportedly designed an entire collection, fabrics were ordered and manufacturers gave the go ahead, before the Pelly team abruptly cancelled the collection, saying they wanted to go in a different direction.

Sunday Confidential approached representatives for Ena Pelly for comment this week and they confirmed a disagreement had taken place.

Elle Ferguson. Picture: Supplied.

Elle Ferguson. Picture: Supplied.

“The collaboration was never formalised and is no longer going ahead,” an Ena Pelly spokesperson said.

“There was a misalignment.

“Ena Pelly is focused on an exciting new chapter as a brand and wishes Elle all the best for her future endeavours. We will not be providing any further comment.”

Our sources say the design process was so far ahead that it had already been sold into multiple department stores and retailers.

“It had been sold into David Jones, The Iconic and Stylerunner, who had all picked up the range as they knew how strong the previous collections were,” one insider said.

“They had invested heavily in it and were annoyed when the Ena Pelly team decided to scrap the collection.”

Dani Pelly and Ellidy Pullin at the Ena Pelly x Ellidy Pullin collection launch at Kirra Beach House. Picture: Taylor Kezia.

It is believed Ferguson is owed tens-of-thousands of dollars.

Ferguson wouldn’t return out calls when we went to her for comment yesterday.

She has since created hugely successful ranges with The Accent Group and Stylerunner, called Felle, with the second collection launching later this year.

Last year when talking about working with Ferguson, founder Dani Pelly said: “Our first collaboration last year performed so well that it just seemed like a no-brainer to do another collection together,” she previously said.

“Every collaboration we do needs to feel like a natural fit for both Ena Pelly as a brand and the creative partner. I want to ensure I have a genuine relationship with the people we choose to work with. When we’re like-minded and have a strong creative synergy, it always results in the best outcomes.”

Pelly has also done collaborations with influencer Ellidy Pullin and her daughter Minnie.