Elsa Pataky’s Purely Byron skincare company placed in administration

Elsa Pataky’s skincare company Purely Byron, part-owned by her husband Chris Hemsworth, has gone into administration, less than a year after its launch.

Elsa Pataky’s skincare company Purely Byron has gone into administration, less than a year after its launch.

The brand, co-founded by Pataky, chief executive Jacqueline Rosen Weisz and brand and product director Kate Norbiato, produces a range of products borne from the 46-year-old actor’s discovery of “the incredible range of natural botanicals grown in the Byron Shire” when she moved there in 2014.

“I learnt that some of them could be clinically-proven to effect change on the skin," Pataky is quoted as saying on the company’s website. “An idea for a locally made skincare range was born.”

After releasing two collections, Purely Byron was this week placed in administration, with Cameron Gray and Justin Holzman of DW Advisory appointed as administrators.

The company is 47.4 per cent owned by ASX-listed BWX brands, while Pataky’s husband Chris Hemsworth’s Byron Bay 1st Management owns a 3.2 per cent stake. Company documents indicate that directors Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish own slightly more than 22 per cent each.

Elsa Pataky’s skincare company Purely Byron has gone into administration, less than a year after its launch. Picture: Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for AFI

Chris Hemsworth’s Byron Bay 1st Management owns a 3.2 per cent stake. Picture: Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for AFI

Pataky, who was born in Spain and lives in Byron Bay with Hemsworth and their three children, previously said a make-up collection and sunscreen were in the works, while a physical spa space in the area was something she’d one day like to bring to fruition.

Purely Byron was forced to deny claims from eagle-eyed skincare fanatics there were “striking similarities” between it and an Aussie mum’s start-up last June.

Social media users took to TikTok and Instagram to claim Pataky’s line was “near identical” in its packaging, imagery, and website design to that of wellness entrepreneur Keira Rumble’s clean and sustainable skincare business, Habitual Beauty.

Rumble told news.com.au at the time her company had previously received “generous” orders for its products from Purely Byron’s head office. In a video on Instagram, she told her followers that “the similarities are far too similar for me not to talk about”.

But in a statement to the Daily Mail, Purely Byron refuted the claims, saying the branding was “inspired by nature” and argued it had done its due diligence and research with an “exploration of the competitive landscape”.

Purely Byron co-founder and actor Elsa Pataky. Picture: Instagram

Habitual Beauty founder Keira Rumble. Picture: Instagram

Speaking to news.com.au about how the situation came to her attention, Rumble – who launched Habitual Beauty last July, five days after the birth of her son – said her business “had (received) some very generous orders just after we launched, from the company Purely Byron, sent directly to their head office in Sydney”.

“We didn’t think much of it at the time as they hadn’t launched, and we weren’t aware that Elsa Pataky was associated in any way,” she said.

“This week, a few of our loyal (and keen-eyed) customers reached out noticing some similarities in packaging, but it wasn’t until we investigated it further that we made the connection and discovered there were more shared attributes than initially thought, including packaging, website, product ingredients, and imagery.”

Rumble, a self-confessed fan of Pataky’s, said Habitual Beauty hasn’t had any communication with Purely Byron since the controversy began.

“Habitual Beauty has been a true labour of love – shared by my family and team – where we have made so many sacrifices, including our time, which is especially precious as new parents; our life savings; and other ongoing challenges that come as small business owners, especially during a pandemic,” she said.

Habitual Beauty's moisturiser. Picture: Instagram

Purely Byron's moisturiser. Picture: Instagram

In a statement to the Daily Mail, Purely Byron’s general manager Jacqueline Rosen said they reject any allegation of sampling or copying – a claim she added is evidenced by the imminent release of their Native Sunrise Blend Collection.

Ms Rosen said that product creation started in 2019, and “each product was created with an original formula over a period of many months in the lead-up to our launch to market last month”.

“Part of our due diligence and research of the space was an exploration of the competitive landscape. This is common practice across the industry, and we undertook ours openly, without subterfuge,” she added.

“Ultimately, the packaging and colour palette of our products was inspired by nature in line with the conventions of the skincare sector – evidenced by numerous brands globally which utilise the same colours and tones.”