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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In a world of waste, we choose zero.

In a world of machines, we choose the human touch.

Last May, Eco Fashion Week Australia (EFWA) brought the Buya Subi Project fashion show to a full house at the Vancouver Public Library.

Led by founder and creative director Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, the runway showcased work from 21 designers from Australia and beyond.

Related story: Okaridge Park redefines luxury retail in Vancouver

Dr. Kuvan-Mills is no stranger to the Vancouver fashion community. Nearly a decade ago, she debuted one of her first collections at Vancouver Fashion Week.

Today, she calls the city her second home, crediting its designers and journalists with reconizing her talent and encouraging her path in fashion.

The Buya Subi Project launches a new four-year EFWA initiative exploring the intersection of culture and sustainable fashion.

It is a landmark collaboration between EFWA, the Central Sulawesi government, the Consulate General of Indonesia in Vancouver and the UN Sustainable Development Goals initiative. 

At the centre of the project are women in Palu, Indonesia, who handcraft silk textiles on manual looms using a tradition more than 300 years old. EFWA is helping preserve that heritage at a time when globalization continues to pressure local craft communities.

Buya Subi, a traditional textile from Central Sulawesi, is more than a handwoven fabric. It embodies community, tradition, and a deep respect for the environment.

With support from the Sulawesi government, each of the 21 participating designers received two square metres of Buya Subi fabric and was invited to create a runway look around it.

The resulting pieces honoured the textile’s cultural significance, foregrounded environmental responsibility, and helped create a pathway for local women to build a sustainable craft economy through tourism.

Ultimately, the Buya Subi Project is about more than preserving textile heritage, craftsmanship, and design. It is also an invitation to rethink how—and why—we buy fashion.

Photos: Simon Lau

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Rooted in the principles of sustainable fashion, the EFWA promotes slow, local production, recycling, and reuse. These values are deeply embedded in traditional craftmaking, honouring the long-standing practices of Indonesian artisans.

Above Designer: Heaven Tungga, Model: Charlize Parkinsonn, Photography: Alexis Rose Photography

Related story: EFWA Florence Edition

Goals and Objectives

“The EFWA Buya Subi Project aims to provide promotion, education, investment, and cultural awareness to rejuvenate traditional weaving in Donggala artisanal textiles, safeguarding their future,” said EFWA Founder and Director, Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills. “The proliferation of cheap, fast-fashion textiles, such as polyester, poses environmental risks through toxic production and undermines the value of handmade textiles. The slow production rates of traditional crafts struggle to compete with fast fashion. Resulting in skilled artisans unable to pass down their expertise due to limited income opportunities from handmade fabrics.”

Significance of Donggala textiles

In Central Sulawesi, traditional textiles hold immense economic and cultural significance, fostering identity and community. Yet, like many local textile traditions, they face the risk of losing ancient knowledge and craftsmanship.

Traditional Donggala textiles are a vital part of Indonesian cultural traditions, closely tied to local customs, stories, and identities. To ensure the survival of these centuries-old crafts, it is crucial to establish supportive structures that protect artisans and highlight the relevance of their work in today’s society.

UNESCO Recognition and Sustainable Development

UNESCO has recognised traditional craftsmanship as an intangible heritage that requires protection and promotion under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Opportunities for sustainable livelihoods exist in cultural tourism, and the traditional craft sector plays a key role in achieving SDGs related to women’s empowerment, reducing inequality, increasing access to employment, and strengthening sustainable production and consumption.

EFWA Global Engagement

EFWA is a proud member of the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network, which champions transparent, inclusive, and transformative engagement among global stakeholders. The Network fosters cross-industry collaboration and partnerships with the United Nations system, accelerates innovation and knowledge exchange, and promotes members’ advancement of sustainable development through impactful solutions.

The EFWA Indonesia Buya Subi Project is set to showcase Donggala’s fabrics on global runways in 2026. More details will be provided as they become available.

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Priszl

The look is all gold from fashion designer Priscilla Listia who has been actively involved in fashion industry since 2014. She is creative director and founder of emerging fashion brands ‘PRISZL†and ‘MIA AMICA†based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Her designs has gained recognition from the fashion world in both the homeland and abroad as a trend maker who successfully brings a new style of Indonesian traditional batik fashion. She was one of the selected designers for Indonesian fashion trend forecasting 2016 / 2017 by the board of Indonesia Fashion Week 2015.

Odysay

The ODYSAY silhouette has a distinct look: dresses are cut to clean and minimalist lines. Styles are deliberately uncluttered. Distinctive embellishments add surprising, delightful and highly feminine accents. The result is a dress of sensual and timeless elegance that favors lasting style over fleeting trends.

Founded in 2015 in Geneva, ODYSAY was born with a wish: to make every important moment of a woman’s life more sumptuous.

Mezis

South Korea brand targeting stylish professional women, they have a goal to create a leading global brand. Mezis has participated in several runway shows in Germany, France and China. The beautiful white dress above was a showstopper and demonstrates that have the talent to go big.

Srishti Kaur Designs

Srishti Kaur Designs offers customized eveningwear and bridal dresses based in New Zealand. Each gown is inspired by beauty, feminine elegance and minimalism, supported by high quality construction techniques and fabrics. Our aesthetic derives from an intertwining of elegance and simplicity ensuring women are left feeling beautiful and empowered.

Showcasing “Shades of you” collection at Vancouver Fashion Week SS 2018 with a selection of evening and bridal gowns. Each is made to evoke a different emotion in a woman from romance, seduction, power, drama to playfulness. The collection obtains a mix of subtle and traditional silhouettes – inspired by elaborate fabrics such as bold laces and 3-D embroidery, integrated with hand sewing and applique techniques.

Hadasa

Cesia Kerem Ramos was born in Panama to a Guatemalan Mother and Half Black/Half Chinese Father. Her design philosophy encompasses the social consciousness of heritage, nostalgia and the retraction of the known through faith. Her designs are purely inspired by her upbringing, roots, and culture.

In 2016, Cesia decides to open her first ‘atelier’ based in Guatemala catering to a private clientele. Returning to her mother’s country by starting her own luxury brand under the name: HADASA. The HADASA signature is characterized by the mixture and complexity of cultural heritage. Creating a modern, edgy but timeless elegant fashion.

Minori Isomichi

Fashion designer Minori Isomichi from Osaka Japan gave us a new perception of traditional Japanese culture and style. As a student of Marronnier College of Fashion Design, she has presented in several fashion design contests locally and abroad.

NVI

Ivonne Diaz de Sandi is a Mexican fashion designer and business woman, with 28 years of working experience in the fashion industry throughout national and international markets

As founder of NVI fashion brand which seeks to inspire women to be brave, achieve their dreams, show their gratitude, feel free to express their personality and show the world their inner and outer beauty.

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