The Next Chapter with Ellie Gonsalves
What began as the story of a little Brisbane girl has become the manifest of “one badass chick.” Meet Gold Coast’s resident “It” girl — Ellie Gonsalves — persona free Aussie bombshell and as of late, sporting the ever-so-coveted, platinum pixie cut. With over a decade’s worth of industry know how and digital deciphering, Gonsalves is what you would call the ultimate multi-hyphenate: model, actress and ambassador, to name a few. Here, she tells us how to balance the expectations in a digital world, the indomitable spirit of her Aussie home and her debut new hyphenate — designer.
Photographer: Lauren Schulz | Model: Ellie Gonsalves | Hair & Makeup: Penny Antuar | Stylist: Paul Versace | Boat: Sailing in Paradise
Headquartered in the ultimate Australian destination lined with world-class beaches, high-rise dominated skylines and rainforest hinterland, the Gold Coast is also home to green eyed beauty and kind hearted professional, Ellie Gonsalves. Working as a model and actress for the last 12 years, Gonsalves has managed to leverage this digital media industry into a full-time business based on passion and overall admirable intentions. “I think my most memorable experience would be starring in a Super Bowl Commercial alongside an animatronic kanageroo for Yellowtail Wines,” reminisces the model, “or starring in the Hollywood blockbuster Fighting with my Family which stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Vince Vaughn, Lena Heady, Florence Pugh and directed/written by Steven Merchant. Honestly incredible experiences from a little Brisbane gal!”
While her destined path of photoshoots and movie sets was not predicted as a young girl, Gonsalves was always known to have a bit of a creative flare. Now amassing an online community of over 4.5 million followers, the model has one message: “Always be you no matter how many people try and change you. Uniqueness is something that cannot be replicated, it’s something you’re born with and makes you stand out from everyone else.” A seasoned veteran, we were eager to uncover her key advice to “making it,” and with no hesitation, Gonsalves expresses, “Don’t stay in ‘your lane’. Life is full of possibilities in this industry and everyone always told me to focus on just one thing. But I’ve honestly found so much success in pursuing modeling, acting, TV, social media campaigns and I’ve even been a Wildlife Warriors Ambassador for the Australia Zoo for 10 years. Social media and technology in general has also opened up so many doors for me over the last few years which has been a bit of a ‘beast’ on its own. But I’ve always believed you have to be adaptable in this industry to make your mark and have longevity. Also, don’t be a dick,” laughed the fair faced beauty, “just be nice, respectful of others and their time! This is SUPER important.”
With social media at the peek of our lifetime, this media maven has established herself in the digital realm and it is with the utmost respect she be granted the prestigious title of a genuine role model. “Social media is an outlet to not only be creative and work with incredible brands/companies, but I genuinely enjoy sharing my experiences and messages on things that are important to me,” heartens Gonsalves. “But it’s also very important to be authentic in what you do. I’m a pretty open book when it comes to my personal and professional life, but there are a few things I keep for me as well. I always am conscious that there are a lot of impressionable people out there so I share the highs and lows of my life and how I got through them, this just demonstrates my life isn’t full of ‘highlights’ and it’s perceived to be something it's not. It really doesn’t matter what car someone drives, how many abs they have, how many followers or how successful they are, or in this world, how successful they appear to be, if you don’t put the work into YOUR personal happiness and fulfillment, all of those other things will fade and probably not make you happy, grounded or give you balance. How you decide to share that is up to you, but to maintain integrity and longevity in this space, you should always be authentic.”
A scroll through her day-in-the-life Instagram, Gonsalves will take you from the glitz of “a day in the office” to the glam behind a curated photoshoot to the celebrations of a 13 year love, and of course the elegant style of a woman who owns herself. Candid about her own struggles in the past juggling the expectations others had for her, the model was quick to realize that, “if I’m being 100 percent ME that will resonate with the right people! You set yourself up for failure if you’re not being genuine and that ‘persona’ can only last so long. There’s also no rule book for public figures these days — if you wanna be controversial, be it. If you want to be projecting positivity, do it! It would be a boring world if every public figure was a goody two shoes, just be yourself! You won’t ever fall short or feel like you have to keep up with what you’re projecting.”
Never the same day twice, Gonsalves is intentional to maintain some form of consistent regimen in a whirlwind lifestyle. “[My day] is kind of all over the place, but I have a routine. I always work out in the mornings and have a good breakfast — that’s my ‘me’ time. I then start my work day which can range from fittings, meetings/zoom meetings, design meetings, a photoshoot, content shoot, edits and selects from shoots, etc. But it’s always different that’s for sure,” shares the model. With an occupation taking her all over the world, one thing has been made clear: “My travels have made me REALLY appreciate Australia so much more,” admits Gonsalves. “We really do have some incredibly talented designers and labels. It’s also such a different style to what you’d see in LA or New York. I think we’re so laid back in Australia and that’s something I really love. I think some people also confuse being laid back with doing nothing or being lazy, but what we’re talking about is just a bit more ‘chilled’ in day to day life, that’s something super unique to us Aussies. And honestly some of my favorite designers and labels are from Australia like Oglialoro Couture, Dion Lee, Capazello Couture, Lillian Khallouf, Khirzad Femme, Alice McCall & Nicola Finetti.”
“Don’t stay in ‘your lane’. Life is full of possibilities in this industry. just be nice, respectful of others and their time! This is SUPER important.”
Speaking of laid back, the model is often seen in the relaxed uniform of leather pants, combat boots, bright puffer and a tee or activewear, “I live in it,” states Gonsalves. “However, when I’m working I leave most of that guidance to my amazing stylist Paul Versace, he’s so incredible and we work together to find the perfect look for how I’m feeling!” Never without her Fenty Beauty Body Sauce, the model has recently been living in her 9186 leggings. Mastering most avenue from model to actress to wildlife ambassador, it seems a natural fit that “designer” is now added to the mix. “A few things i’m really excited about coming in the next few months is launching my new activewear label ‘9186’,” reveals the badass boss babe, “that I have co-founded with my partner Ross Scutts. Interestingly, the name is the tail end of both our birth years in September. It’s a collection of fashion forward, amazingly fitting activewear for EVERYONE to enjoy.”
“I am also a part of a new Aussie reality show,” shares the actress, “and I’ll casually be feeding a crocodile for the very first time in November at Australia Zoo to celebrate my decade long Wildlife Warriors ambassador role with them.” With much gratitude to her father, Gonsalves grew up with a love for wildlife. “Wildlife gave me so much compassion and empathy for all living beings and that’s ultimately how I became so invested in the protection of wildlife,” heartens the model. “I was first invited by Terri Irwin to visit the zoo and the Wildlife Warriors hospital and while it was one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life seeing the zoo and having experiences with the animals, it was also incredibly sad when I walked through the hospital. It brought me to tears seeing all of the injured animals being treated and realizing Australia Zoo had no assistance other than donations from the public and profits from the zoo to operate, I asked what I could do to help them and that’s when Terri asked if I’d like to become a global Wildlife Warriors ambassador. That was about 10 years ago.”
“I’m just trying to make the most out of every opportunity and am endlessly grateful to be working.”
Learning one thing in not only her 12 years in this ever-changing industry, but in the unpredictable struggles of the last two years, Gonsalves cherishes the importance of making every day count. “I’m just tying to make the most out of every opportunity and am endlessly grateful to be working,” addresses the model. While work is a driving force in Gonsalves’ genuine lifestyle her nights off “doing nothing” also provides the much needed solace and balance in a fast-paced world. So what is this pixie cut bombshell doing when not gracing the world with her smoldering smize? “Probably eating a tub of vegan cookie dough ice cream watching SVU with my dog Daisy and my partner Ross,” smiled the model; “and after I destroy the tub of ice cream Ross gives me foot massages and I give him scalp massages,” she further admits with an infectious laugh. “THIS is my idea of self care. And if I’m feeling extra boujee, I’ll put a face mask on while I eat the ice cream.”