I had the pleasure of meeting Sylvia Calvo at Eco Fashion Week Australia 2017. After reviewing her sustainable fashion collection, I discovered she is an innovative, eco-friendly designer gaining recognition in Europe.

Related story: Jose Hendo wows audiences with ancient barkcloth at EFWA

Her commitment to using sustainable materials, like salvaging jute coffee bags from Barcelona’s Harbour, is innovative. She collaborates with Hilaturas Jesús Rubio to shred and repurpose these bags into new yarn. All are locally crafted in Barcelona, bolstering the local economy, minimizing carbon emissions, and contributing to her couture collections.

In her latest Indonesia fashion collection at EFWA 2024, she repurposes cotton coffee bags sourced directly from Indonesia through a joint project involving local growers and This Side Up, an Amsterdam-based specialty coffee importer.

The project began with This Side Up employing a local artist to create an original design and colours for the cotton coffee bags. They decided to silkscreen the bags using inks derived from food waste, like coffee grounds, to produce a brown colour, thereby avoiding toxins and generating more jobs within the local community.

Preparing cotton coffee bags for reuse before their first use has eliminated the transportation carbon footprint. 

At This Side Up, the Amsterdam warehouse has benefited from using vibrant cotton coffee bags. These bags have improved inventory management efficiency, minimized shipping errors, and reduced operational costs by lowering the carbon footprint associated with additional deliveries and pickups due to mistakes. 

Sylvia Calvo has created something extraordinary with her partners based on Circular Economy principles, positively impacting the entire value chain from Indonesia to Barcelona. 

In her studio in Barcelona, she creates garments from cotton coffee bags. From skirts to pants, each item highlights circular sustainability by utilizing minimal new materials and a high proportion of recycled content.

The message for all of us is to embrace the beauty of eco-friendly fashion and allow our wardrobes to reflect our values—because looking stylish should never be at the expense of our planet.

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There are no surprises on the list, but luxury travellers’ travel preferences and perceptions have evolved.

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Luxury travel is about creating unique and unforgettable experiences during a vacation.

After months of lockdown, Gen Z and Millennials intend to holiday close to home this year. For those seeking luxury, it’s about high-quality experiences with loved ones, even if it means travelling far.

Luxury travellers now prefer slow travel and extended vacations that combine work and leisure. Many people travel with their laptops to work remotely.

By choosing to travel more slowly, individuals can immerse themselves more deeply in local cultures and engage in more experiences that allow them to explore and truly appreciate their destination. They seek unconventional vacation experiences beyond typical resorts.

We are now seeing a significant demand for wellness travel and immersive retreats. Travellers are ensuring that their vacation plans include time for well-being and that they care for themselves.

Virtuoso, a global network of luxury travel advisors, surveyed its clients and found that five European countries are the top destinations for luxury travel. These countries are Italy, Greece, France, England, and Spain. 

Paris was ranked the top luxury travel city, followed by Rome, Barcelona, Florence, and London.

Italy took the top spot with families, followed by Hawaii, Costa Rica, France, and the United States.

As for honeymoon destinations, Italy was first, followed by Greece, Bali, French Polynesia, and Maldives.

Luxury travellers’ book during the shoulder season to avoid crowds and seek exclusivity and privacy.

In the coming weeks, I will share more luxury travel news on the less-known destinations.

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I had the pleasure of sailing on the Discovery Princess for a six-day cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles in October. During my trip, I was invited to Princess Cruises 360 dining, which promised a Mediterranean-inspired and immersive seven-course culinary experience with various tastes, sights, sounds, touches, and fragrances. It is the most exceptional dining experience offered by the cruise line.

My Princess Cruises 360 dining experience began just before seven, outside the International Café where we took some photos in front of a 360-degree backdrop. Upon arrival, I met Johannes, our host who offered me a delicious 360 cocktail. The seating capacity was limited to 20 guests, and once everyone had arrived, he escorted us to a private circular dining room at the back of Sabatini’s restaurant.

As we dined at the round table, the large LED screens behind us displayed a synchronized story, along with imagery, music, scents, cuisine, and stunning visual films throughout the dinner. 

We began at sunset with Greek Mezze. Mini handmade pita rounds with traditional tzatziki yogurt sauce of cucumber, dill, and mint. Followed by grilled octopus marinated with olive oil, crushed garlic, herbs, and smoked paprika and served with fresh Greek Manouri Parnassos cheese, pickled red onion, and feta cheese.

Our next stop in Italy began with famed mozzarella di bufala, heirloom tomatoes, basil leaves, balsamic reduction, and basil oil. We then enjoyed fresh, thin spaghetti tossed in oven-roasted lemon sauce with lemon zest and Italian parsley.

The culinary traditions of Spain came alive with their very best cured meats – Pata Negra and Serrano hams and Chorizo – together with Pan can Tomate, crisp toast topped with juicy tomatoes, the signature tapa of Catalan. 

Afterwards, a plate of grilled fillet of beef, fried eggplant, roasted baby carrots, dressed in a demi-glaze, and truffle butter partner with grilled shrimp.

During the evening, I was offered wines from each of the regions we visited. Plus, witness stunning 360-degree views of the Mediterranean while listening to the knowledge of local artisans and purveyors regarding the ingredients used in each dish. The 4K cinematography images that were projected onto the table in front of me changed to match each scene and some scenes even offered interactive features along with narration by Brooke Shields.

This unforgettable culinary adventure immersed me in the captivating cultures and flavours of the Mediterranean. The dinner lasted for 90 minutes and was a celebration of the senses that I will always cherish. 

For your next cruise, I highly recommend booking either the Discovery Princess or the Enchanted Princess. The Princess Cruise 360 dining world-class experience on either ship is sure to create cherished vacation memories that will last a lifetime.

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Sylvia Calvo’s unique designs answer the question what do you get when you cross high fashion with waste fabric? In fact, creating fashionable collections out of burlap sacks is the challenge that she wakes up to every morning.

Recently, Sylvia Calvo returned to Eco Fashion Week Australia with her second collection which truly impressed. She took as inspiration the arts and culture of her hometown of Barcelona which hugs the coastline of the majestic Mediterranean Sea.

This stylish Spaniard’s fashionable collection, which included pieces for both men and women, used not only reclaimed coffee bean bags but also organic cotton and hemp. This mix of fabrics, used to construct wearable separates, gave us a more diversified collection and broadened the appeal of Calvo’s unique brand.

Any good fashion designer needs to evolve over time and I was pleasantly surprised with the addition of impressive hand painting and embroidery on her fabrics. This experimentation with new techniques is what makes Calvo stand out as an eco-designer.

Although they are made out of waste fabrics, there’s nothing throwaway about Calvo’s clothes. One outfit that impressed on the runaway was an emerald green skirt with a blouse covered in alpaca and natural gems applied on coffee bag burlap. Calvo also showcased a men’s tailored jacket with hand crafted wooden buttons that would not have looked out of place on the streets of Barcelona.

She presented t-shirts and light outerwear and, new for 2019, is a line of bags, offering an entry level eco-fashion item for those just dipping their toes into greening their closets and thus widening her brand’s appeal.

Sylvia Calvo’s motto is “waste to value” and it can’t be denied that her designs impact our environment only minimally while offering wearable and stylish clothing for today’s eco conscious men and women.

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Held at the Fremantle Community Bank Oval, seven local plus one international designer presented along with student capsule collections from ECU University which will be previewed in a future story.

Opening the evening was Perth based Skylark the Label who impressed the crowd with stylish casual to sophisticated evening looks.

Ngali presented unique pattern dresses created by indigenous artists and artisans followed by Classic Couture Vintage & Bridal that captured the hearts of the audience with breathtaking gowns.

The Shire Seamstress presented bridal looks for formal to casual weddings and special occasions.

Handmade eco-conscious clothing by Gemini Kite was best described by EFWA master of ceremonies Angela Ayers, “their collection would make any women a princess of the outback.”

Curtin Springs runway show of jewelry and clothing collections with 30 models thrilled everyone while Sylvia Calvo of Barcelona rocked the night with a stylist men’s and women’s collection made of organic fabrics and recycled coffee bean bags.

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The inaugural Eco Fashion Week Australia did away with that bohemian image last week by showcasing chic, wearable collections with a focus on quality and sustainability.

Under the direction of Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, designer for Green Embassy and founder of EFWA, over 40 eco-friendly local and international fashion designers were brought together to demonstrate how style, culture and a love for the environment intersect to create the future of fashion for conscious consumers.

During the weeklong event, which took place in the port town of Fremantle near Perth, eco-friendly designers proved that they are part of the solution to landfill waste and ocean plastic, offering slow alternatives to the unsustainable practices of the fast fashion industry.

Along with workshops on recycling and upcycling materials and the use of natural fibers, the festival showcased high quality, stylish and versatile clothes for every occasion, proving once and for all that eco fashion is not just for flower children and free spirits.

From Green Embassy’s glamorous dresses to the outback wildflower jewelry of Curtin Springs’ Amee Porter to the sporty and smart casual looks by Merino Country, eco-friendly fashion has something for everyone and is increasingly a part of the Australian style landscape.

Here are the top looks from Eco Fashion Week Australia.

Green Embassy is the New Black

Eco Fashion Week Australia’s opening show was Green Embassy, a luxurious eco-friendly fashion brand by Australian designer and event founder, Zuhal Kuvan-Mills.

The collection shown at EFWA, entitled Empty Ocean Series, was inspired by the diversity of marine life and the changing textures of the ocean waters. Done up in natural silks colored with vegetable dyes, the fluid forms of Green Embassy’s designs represent the pinnacle of green fashion and prove that glamour can be good for our planet.

Sista of JAC

Sisters Selda and Yeshim Ismail make up the design team behind Sista of Jac which presented a runway show full of colorful prints, bold colors and abstract lines inspired by architecture and science.

Based in Melbourne, they design their own fabrics which include organic cottons as well as rescued textiles such as wool and silk.

With a goal of sustainability and zero waste production, they offer high quality luxury garments for the discerning eco fashionista.

Sylvia Calvo

Scouring the waterfront docks of Barcelona, Sylvia Calvo collects and recycles coffee bags to create her eco-friendly collections.

She also collaborates with other artists to create hand-painted organic cottons and woven fabrics made from leftover textile scraps that combine art and couture.

Calvo believes that sustainable fashion goes in hand in hand with elegance, creativity and design and, with one of the most impressive collections on the runway at Eco Fashion Week Australia, her designs bear out her beliefs.

Amee Porter, Curtin Springs

A self-taught jewelry designer, Amee Porter creates her collections from the natural grasses and plants of Curtin Springs, a Central Australian cattle station located 40 kilometers from Ayers Rock.

From the landscape of the Australian desert, native grasses are harvested, pulped and pressed into unique sheets of paper which are then formed into jewelry. Surrounded by a 360-degree horizon, Porter draws inspiration from the ever-changing vistas of the million acre cattle station which includes a workshop and gallery out of which she creates and displays her wearable art.

Jude Taylor

The love of wild colorful Australian flowers and the exceptional landscape they flourish in is what inspires Jude Taylor’s fabric designs. Working with natural fibers such as linens, cottons and silks, she experiments with unbleached fabrics to create beautiful floral patterns.

Offering classic trans-seasonal styles that can be enjoyed for many years to come Taylor is one to watch for eco-conscious consumers.

Kirsten Ley

Kirsten Ley’s inspiration for the collection she showed at Eco Fashion Week Australia was drawn from the concept of Snell’s Law and the exploration of translucent light refraction.

Not only is Kirsten is a fashion designer, she is also an artist, a singer and a songwriter who wrote the music for her runway show at Eco Fashion Week Australia.

Using only natural materials, the multi-talented Ley empowers women with confident clothing that moves naturally with the female form.

Arcaro Couture

Angelia Arcaro started creating clothes when she was 11 years old and has a deep love of beauty and art. As each Arcaro Couture gown is unique and made from only the finest natural materials such as wool, cotton, linen and silk, her collection is an expression of individuality and quality.

Angelia Arcaro offers up true elegance with a Australian twist. Each Arcaro Couture gown is hand-crafted and embellished with antique jewelry, reworked lace, pearls, gemstones, beads, feathers and other ornaments discovered at local markets.

Lima Jordan

Using raw and recycled fabrics, Lima Jordon of Melbourne creates avant-garde fashion that is also simple and practical, exploring and reinterpreting the origins of clothing.

As a designer, Jordan chooses to go against fast fashion, fight for workers’ rights and support the slow-fashion movement. Her current collection was inspired by nomadic/tribal lifestyles, traditional artisan fabrics and unknown cultures and effortlessly combines her sustainable values with innovative designs.

Merdi Sihombing

Since childhood, Merdi Sihombing has been enveloped by the arts in all its forms – singing, dancing, painting, poetry and more. He started designing clothing as a teenager and is inspired by the cultures of the diverse tribes of Indonesia.

One of the difficulties he faces as a designer is taking the rich culture and traditions of Indonesian fashion to global markets while still using sustainable fabrics and supporting ethical workplace practices. Given all he’s achieved in the eco fashion world, he’s sure to rise to the challenge.

Merino Country

Merino Country’s wool garments are all about comfort and performance for people with an active lifestyle. The intrinsic properties of the company’s merino wool are that it is breathable, easy to care for, ideal for sensitive skin and renewable and biodegradable.

Fashion designer Kerrie Richards was raised on a sheep station in Western Queensland and has created a wide range of garments, including underwear, activewear and smart casual clothes such as polo shirts, dresses and shorts.

Polyester yoga pants are destroying our oceans by releasing small polyester beads during the wash cycle which are then consumed by fish and ultimately end up in our bodies. For all the eco-conscious yogis out there, Merino Country’s wool yogawear is one solution the plastic that pollutes our oceans.

Elle Evans

Originating in Melbourne, this youthful swimwear line created by Elle Evans, showed a series of of playful swimsuits inspired by the colour of a ruby red grapefruit at Eco Fashion Week Australia.

With a strong belief in doing business in an ethical and sustainable, Evans strives for the smallest footprint by using 100% recycled PET Nylon Lycra materials made from ghost nets and other plastics from the oceans. Fabrics made from recycled plastics or scrapped fabrics take up to 40% less energy to produce than virgin fabric and, as Evans’ designs show, produce garments just as stylish as anything you’d find in a fast-fashion outlet.

Connally McDougall

Since childhood, traditional clothing and textiles along with nature and architecture have fascinated Connally McDougall and influenced her aesthetic. Based in Vancouver, Canada, McDougall aspires to create chic fashion for women with materials that are both ecologically and ethically sustainable.

Her collection, including a line of handbags, is made in her own studio from organic cotton, wool, silk and faux leather.

Upcycling Challenge

Eco Fashion Week Australia Upcycling Challenge by Marilyn R. Wilson featured the works of 21 designers from 12 countries. The challenge was to create one runway look from used men’s dress shirts that showcased their design style and the designers did not disappoint.

The look above is by Jessie Liu of San Francisco, a master of creating flattering silhouettes in bold graphic prints that appear almost three-dimensional.

Verdant the Label

Designer Kyra Brown has always wanted her line of women’s clothing, Verdant the Label, to represent the positive side of fashion. This meant spending months researching the fashion industry in order to ensure that, from farmer to consumer, from the treatment of garments workers to the use of natural materials, her clothes are as ethical and eco-friendly as possible.

Drawing her inspiration from social media and people watching as well as art, vintage style and the international fashion scene, Brown is fascinated by how light, color and texture play on the body and the imagination.

Chaynika Sethi of CVS Fashions

With a focus on structure, detailing and tailoring, Chaynika Sethi is all about power dressing. Designing collections for both men and women, she offers a unique perspective on corporate wear.

Sethi works with organic, unprocessed natural fabrics like linen, cotton, wool and silk as well as textiles derived from coffee beans to create fun and innovative styles that are sure to add confidence and attitude to any workplace wardrobe.

If you go:

Fremantle serves as the port for Perth, Western Australia’s capital, and is located on the mouth of the Swan River which flows into the Indian Ocean. As a visitor, you will experience a seaside village filled with waterfront restaurants, museums and boutiques. The British convicts who built the foundations of the city first landed in the early 1800’s and several of the original Victorian buildings still stand today, providing some historic charm to go with Fremantle’s relaxed, small town feel.

Savour:

With the convicts came the archetypal British fish and chips and Fremantle’s waterfront district is filled with pubs and restaurants that offer this traditional fare. The local favorite is Kailis which combines casual dining with quality food from the classic fish and chips meal to full entrees of bbq fish, octopus, scallops, oysters and more. There is ample seating inside or on the dock but watch out for the hungry seagulls.

Just next door to Kailis’ is Bathers Beach House which offers diners views of cruise ships departing eastward into the Indian Ocean. Menu offerings range from seafood platters to beef burgers to mahogany creek chicken breast salad, all highly recommended.

Sights:

The seafaring history of Fremantle is on display at the Western Australian Maritime Museum located right on the waterfront. The current exhibition, Escape from Pompeii: The Untold Roman Rescue, is a must see. In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the city of Pompeii under huge clouds of volcanic ash and debris. The exhibition tells story of the Roman Navy’s attempts to evacuate people and the importance of controlling the Mediterranean to their empire. On view are artifacts such as personal objects and the remains of those who died in one of history’s most famous disasters. This exhibition runs until February 4, 2018.

Shopping:

For those who wish to take home a memory of Fremantle, Glen Cowan’s Studio at the Roundhouse located at the foot of High St. Cowan offers a wide range of colour prints and images on jewelry. Cowan is an underwater photographer who has captured the beauty of marine life in the region and his pictures make ideal keepsakes to remember your visit to Fremantle.

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