Erika Geraerts isn’t afraid to go against the grain. Having cut her teeth working for big beauty brands (she was one of the co-founders of Frank Body), she decided to go it alone and, in 2018, she founded a brand with an unusual aim: producing less. Based in Collingwood, Melbourne, Geraerts, 34, sees Fluff as an antidote to the overconsumption most makeup brands peddle. It’s known for three products — a refillable bronzer, lip oil and retractable brush — and occasionally offers skincare, such as a cleanser and mask.
The less-is-more approach extends to her distribution model: about a year ago, Fluff moved to quarterly releases, selling products online for just one week, four times a year. “Consumers were becoming confused and disheartened,” Geraerts says, referring to sales strategies common in the industry, such as aggressive advertising campaigns. “So we thought, ‘What if we pull back and restrict the supply to increase the demand?’ ” The main advantage, she says, is that she now sets the pace of her business.
According to the company, annual revenue bounced back within a year and, with reduced costs, Fluff is now more profitable and easier to manage. “It also allows us to focus on different markets, each time in a more efficient way,” Geraerts adds.
