In a market flooded with new and exciting brands, it's hard to create something that stands out. But that's exactly what Hunter Lab does - stand out.
A leader in natural beauty and in the gender-neutral beauty space, Hunter Lab was created by Susie and Elliot Waldron. They created the brand after being unable to find skincare that meshed with their ideals and their aesthetic. As they say, if you want something done right, do it yourself.
We connected with both Susie and Elliot to find our more about their cult, Melbourne-born brand. Below, they share their inspirations and why being a part of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week was so important.
Why did you decide to create Hunter Lab?
Susie: Hunter Lab was borne from our shared entrepreneurial urge and passion for natural and clean beauty. We saw an opportunity to lead in the natural space by creating a brand focused on modern appeal—gender-inclusive, cruelty-free, and a commitment to high-performing formulas.
Combining our experience across beauty, wellness and marketing, we sold our home and leapt headfirst into creating a natural skin health brand we hoped would resonate with an audience we knew were craving more.
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What inspired you to create natural skincare?
Elliot: Our commitment to natural came from the inspiration we took from the sheer power of Mother Nature, combined with our quest to live a healthy, conscious and active lifestyle. At the time we kept crossing paths with natural ingredients without seeing them being used effectively, and that lead to two years deep diving into the natural ingredient world. We soon discovered that green-science was about to explode.
Susie: As humans we share an incredible connection with nature, and this biocompatibility allows us to draw on the anti-ageing qualities of the plant-world to improve the skin. Extracts such as herbs, roots, flowers, water and oils contain the same vitamins and minerals our body craves. At Hunter Lab, we choose natural ingredients through green chemistry, preserving integrity and purity.
Tell us about the ethos behind the brand. What makes Hunter Lab different?
E: Our mission is to empower skin health while being inspired by nature, technology and design. Creating a nextgen approach to natural skincare, we access high-performing ingredients that support our biology with sophisticated, highly effective formulas.
S: We’re conscious about the ingredients we put in and, on our bodies, and hold a strong commitment to transparency. This is why we share the exact percentages of natural ingredients of each of our products and explain the use of some minor but necessary synthetic ingredients, allowing customers to make their own informed choices.
With this holistic, health-focused lifestyle in mind, the Hunter Lab range is designed to be seen, shared, and enjoyed. Inside and out, the range seeks to inspire across daily life.
As an Australian-owned-and-made brand, why was it important for you to join with Fashion Week and sponsor some of the shows?
E: We’re continually inspired by the creativity of other Australian brands, and how they are executing on the global stage. We love collaborating with thought leaders and innovators, especially in the design space — for which AAFW is the perfect fit.
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S: In line with the movement to celebrate natural beauty, Afterpay Australian Fashion Week is the ideal platform for Hunter Lab to support designers, sharing our products in the hope they empower others to feel more confident in their own skin.
What spoke to you about Commas and Manning Cartell?
S: The beauty of these two brands is they are doing brilliant things, at different moments of their journey. COMMAS is a beautiful up-and-coming independent label breaking incredible ground internationally, a truly creative approach with an inspiring vision. And Manning Cartell is celebrating their 15th anniversary as a success story in the Australian fashion landscape, and celebrate individuality, joy and connection with people throughout Australia & globally, which we admire greatly.
Hunter Lab is known for its beautiful designs. Where did the inspiration for the packaging and brand aesthetic come from?
E: We love design simplicity, and texture intricacy. The idea behind the Hunter Lab aesthetic was to balance the two; appeal to the senses through provocative scents and tactile surfaces and complement modern design through refined shapes and typography.
The most important task of any skincare product is to inspire daily use. So, we set out to create a memorable aesthetic which complements the bathroom bench rather than detracts. It was imperative to create simple packaging and there’s something about black and white that, when done well, is universally appealing and timeless. We hope Hunter Lab is known for unique, aesthetically pleasing design that inspires—complementing incredible natural formulations. Efficacy and pleasure of use, always.
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What do you want more people to know about skincare?
S: We hope to share the self-confidence and enjoyment that comes from using great product every day. Skincare should be simple and gratifying; the good news is our skin requires little to keep it in a healthy condition. Start out with a great moisturiser and cleanser and build from there.
E: Watch and listen to your skin and seek solutions to improve your skin health. We find that avoiding known irritants, such as pore-blocking petrochemicals and fillers like silicones and alcohols, instantly improves the skin’s health and allows for the ‘good stuff’ to penetrate deeper.
What’s next for Hunter Lab?
E: We hope our partnership with AAFW is just the beginning in connecting with communities across the world; we aim to become a global leader in next-gen natural skincare, uniting technology, nature, and design to support many all over the world.
