This week we talk to Alisa and Lysandra Fraser, the entrepreneur sisters behind the personal care brand al.ive body. The duo first gained national recognition by winning Australia’s leading renovation show The Block in 2013 and embarked on their entrepreneurial journey when they established their own interior design business a year later. They launched al.ive body in 2020, bringing over to personal care the design aesthetic and product purity philosophies that they espouse as interior designers. Despite having started the business during the pandemic, they have managed to achieve growth of 300 per cent year-on-year.
ISB: How did you arrive at the decision to enter the personal care and beauty market with al.ive body?
AF: The vision for al.ive body was inspired by our ongoing frustration/difficulty in finding home and beauty products that complemented our finished interior projects. Once we realised this was a gap in the market, we jumped in and decided to create a range of our own. There was nothing that was design inspired and that offered the range of colours we needed to suit a variety of spaces. The al.ive body range marries product purity with design aesthetic, meaning that customers no longer have to choose between quality and style.
ISB: Despite being experienced entrepreneurs, what was the most unexpected challenge you faced with this brand and how did you overcome it?
LF: I think the biggest challenge is the rapid growth we have had – a good problem, but it certainly creates challenges. From cashflow and logistics, to staffing and warehousing, keeping up with the pace of it all is a continuous juggling act. It sometimes feels like you cannot step off the treadmill for a second otherwise the wheels will fall off!
ISB: How do you strive to make al.ive body’s products stand out in a very competitive market?
AF: We offer a large variety of colourways – some are timeless and others that change with the seasons, but they’re always very distinct in style. Timeless is the key word we’d use to describe our interior style, which of course makes it a more sustainable and worthwhile investment for our customers. We’re also big on new product development, allowing our product range to cross over into a few different categories within the home and skin space. Last year, we launched shampoo and conditioner collection which was a huge success for us.
ISB: What aspects of interior design were you able to integrate successfully with this venture?
LF: The structure of our bottles have made them a styling item within themselves. Like all good design, the composition, balance, proportion and colour of our duos have made them an icon within bathrooms and kitchens right across Australia. Our background in interior designer has been integral to the success of al.ive body.
ISB: What is the secret for al.ive body having achieved a 300 per cent year-on-year growth despite the pandemic?
AF: There are a number of contributing factors, but a few key things include forward-thinking, staying ahead of the trends and importantly, having a wonderful and talented team – none of what we’ve achieved would be possible without our team. Not to mention the grit and determination to be the best we can be.
ISB: How do you see al.ive body growing in the next couple of years?
LF: We are working on some very exciting new categories that we know our customers are going to love – new product development is critical to keeping the excitement and newness alive in a crowded space. Innovation is at the centre of the new categories we’re about to enter, our customers don’t even realise how much they need these products, but once they get them into their homes, they’ll wonder how they ever lived without them!
