This inspiring theme set the stage for the Handmade for the Earth fashion show by Eco Fashion Week Australia (EFWA), which transformed the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) into a hub of creativity last May.

Related Story: EFWA: The Buya Subi Project

Handmade for the Earth

For more than 10 years, Founder and Creative Director Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills has carried her eco-fashion vision across continents, inspiring audiences from Perth and Vancouver to Florence and, now, Palu, Indonesia.

Handmade for the Earth weaves together age-old textile artistry and contemporary design, sparking innovation in sustainable fashion and nurturing the growth of green economies.

The fashion collection featured Buya Subi, a silk Sarong Donggalaven from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, handcrafted for over 300 years.

Eco fashion designers

The VPL fashion runway came alive with creations from more than a dozen designers representing Canada, Estonia, the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, and Australia.

Vancouver audiences saw Green Embassy, Atelier Zuhal, Sylvia Calvo, LJR Design by Linda Russel, Leah Kelly By Design, Samantha Faye Designs, Fabric of Nature, Amme Dennis, Atelier Biologico, Nenjaka, Ravencroth Textile Studio, Funk N Soul97, Mon, Fina Collection, Acca Atelier, Temple of Redress, Haruu Zuzana Hrubos and Olga Ignatenko.

Buya Subi

We were all treated to eco-conscious runway shows in which sustainable designs blended bespoke craftsmanship with contemporary flair.

The Handmade for the Earth collection featured Buya Subi, silk Sarong Donggala textiles hand-woven in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, for over 300 years.

Dr. Kuvan-Mills strongly believes that the most radical act in fashion is to make it by hand. The future is handmade.

Fashion is much like art

EFWA is working towards:

• Preserve cultural heritage in the face of globalization.
• Drive sustainable, zero-waste design practices.
• Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

For Dr. Kuvan-Mills, fashion is much like art, sparking conversations about sustainability and cultural preservation, shaping consumer choices and the industry’s future.

EFWA’s next fashion show will be held in Perth, Australia, from October 30 to November 1, 2026.

Photos: Simon Lau

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Diversity is part of all designer runway shows today, but the industry standard expects female models to be a minimum of five feet 10 inches tall and have a size two figure. As female models have caught up to their male counterparts, male models must now be six feet two inches or taller once the ladies put on their high heels. 

Above photo: Designer Joschua

Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, Director of Eco Fashion Week Australia, has always selected models of various heights and body sizes, reflecting the world in which we live today. Her models ranged from five feet to the standard and included different body types. Typically, shorter models are used for catalogue photography and as fit models.

Fashion runway shows are designed to be an immersive experience that conveys the designer’s brand. Usually, it lasts less than 15 minutes, resulting in months of preparation and hundreds of thousands of dollars for fashion models, a backstage crew of make-up and hair artists, tailors, lighting technicians, runway photographers, choreographers, musicians or deejays, emcee, and a stage manager.

Over the past decade, social media has made fashion shows more theatrical, which I find distracting. However, nothing replaces a well-made and cohesive collection on the runway. 

Top European designer seasonal collection shows now feature more than 100 models lasting up to 30 minutes. Their straight-line runway shows always leave a lasting impression that captivates audiences, for it is all about the garments.

When I review a designer collection from the front row, the first outfit must wow me, and the anchor – the last garment must be awe-inspiring. During the show, the assortment must build on the collection for their prospective clients.

A designer collection isn’t remarkable because of extravagant staging. Selecting the right model who speaks to your audience, regardless of height or body measurement, creates memories that remain with us. 

That’s the winning formula with the fashion models from Eco Fashion Week Australia.

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Dr. Kuvan-Mills undertook carpal tunnel surgery at St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital when an idea to repurpose caregiver scrubs into a fashion line was born. 

“I was speaking to the nurse on duty pre-surgery, and we discussed the amount of potential textile waste across many industries where staff wear uniforms. A discussion with this environmentally conscious nurse on her uniform’s potential destiny just before I entered the operating theatre was the source of my idea,” said Dr. Kuvan-Mills. 

Gift of Hope

With the idea firmly planted, Dr Kuvan-Mills then discovered St John of God Foundation’s ‘Gift of Hope’ project, which supports cancer patients experiencing financial hardship related to their treatment. 

In discussion with EFWA local designers, Green Embassy, Fabric of Nature and Deadly Denim, Dr. Kuvan-Mills inspired the group to create a clothing collection from hospital uniforms to present during what has now become a month-long sustainable fashion festival in Busselton and Perth this November. 

The ‘Aqua’ collection is inspired by water shortages and changing weather patterns. It will be showcased during the month-long festival and will be available for sale on the show night of November 16 at Midland Junction Arts Centre. All proceeds from the EFWA sale that evening will be donated to St John of God Foundation’s Gift of Hope project.

EFWA at Busselton Jetty

Part of the collection will also feature on the festival’s opening night on Friday, November 1st. The festival will also seek to set a world record with a 3.6 km fashion catwalk over the Indian Ocean on Busselton Jetty, with local, national, and international designers and many creative community groups participating. 

Related Story: Discover the luxurious Aplaca fashion collection by Ahblo

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