Above photo: Zuhal Kuvan-Mills earns acclaim for her Ghost Glacier collection.

Related story: Sylvia Calvo showcased her Indonesia collection at EFWA

Dressed in a strapless, floor-length white gown, the first model stepped onto the runway and revealed her violin, which was hidden behind her back. She began to play, and the room quickly filled with the music of Palladio by Karl Jenkins. Unbeknownst to the audience, the model was Kristy Hughes, a professional violinist with the Community Chamber Collective. This eight-member collective was seated in the balcony, performing for the entire Green Embassy fashion show under the direction of Shaun Fraser.

Ghost Glacier by Green Embassy was the grand finale for EFWA, featuring fashion designer Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, who showcased 20 couture outfits conveying a critical, thought-provoking message about our environment. 

The initial garments were solid white, symbolizing the glaciers of the ocean. As the show progressed, we noticed increasingly blue hues in each piece. By midway through the show, the blue tones became evident, accompanied by the music from the Phantom of the Opera that filled the room. The final outfit featured a long blue dress paired with an embroidered white scarf worn by the model, representing oceans nearly devoid of glaciers.

Over the past decade, I have admired Zuhal Kuvan-Mills’ creative mind as she crafts couture garments while also taking steps to preserve our environment. On her Perth farm, she raises several alpacas from which she gathers fibres to create outfits. She consistently works with natural materials such as alpaca, merino wool, silk, and organic cotton, never wasting a single piece of material. 

Green Embassy’s eco-fashion creations are fully handcrafted in Australia and have gained international recognition as the country’s first organic fashion label. Their textiles and garments hold certification from Global Organic Textile Standards, which are the premier benchmarks for quality assurance in the global organic textile industry.

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EFWA is more than a sustainable fashion runway show; it also includes gallery exhibitions and seminars that educate the public on the ever-increasing fashion waste and its effects on the environment and society. 

Above photo: Sylvia Calvo, Barcelona, Spain

More fashion news:

Green Embassy’s Ghost Glacier collection opens EFWA Busselton

Australians, on average, purchase 56 new garments a year, double the global average, according to the Australia Institute. Today, Australians are the biggest clothing consumers, creating a 300,000-ton-mountain problem of textile waste.

Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills curated the Closet of the Anthropocene to celebrate their community’s creativity by re-imagining existing garments and saving them from landfills.

On opening night, invited guests at the Ellenbrook Art Gallery were treated to a private fashion show featuring over 50 models representing local and international designers participating in EFWA in Busselton and Perth. 

Several of the fashions displayed were outstanding: Ghost Glacier, a beautiful blue floor-length dress by Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills that symbolized the melting glaciers. 

Sylvia Calvo’s outfit is constructed from hand-painted silk by Anna Albert, and discarded jute coffee bags were eye-catching.

Remarkable was the R3 Warrior Women garment, crafted by Uganda-born, British-based eco-stainable designer Jose Hendo, which was constructed from Barkcloth, an organic-bio-degradable cloth manufactured with no added chemicals or textile agents. 

The Closet of the Anthropocene brings to light one of today’s most significant global waste issues and should not be missed. 

EFWA is working to build awareness and find workable solutions to save our planet. 

For exhibition hours, visit Ellenbrook Art Gallery.

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More Fashion News:

EFWA aims for world record with longest sustainable fashion runway show

Under the artistic direction of Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, the new eco-fashion collection titled “Ghost Glacier” conveys a message about climate change and the melting of the world’s glaciers.

On the runway, the first model was dressed in a stylist’s long white dress, symbolizing our Artic white glacier. As her runway show progressed, each following model’s outfits became bluer, with less white symbolizing the disappearance of our world glaciers. 

Her collection celebrates the spirit of sustainability. However, the twelve fashion dresses in her collection that evening were world-class and could easily have been found on Paris, Milan or London runways.

Green Embassy’s opening show was just the beginning of EFWA fashion shows showcasing designers from around the globe. Fashionistas are guaranteed to experience some of the best eco-friendly yet stylish fashion for men and women. EFWA ‘s Busselton and Perth show calendar can be found on their website.

Green Embassy is known for its unique fusion of timeless textile sculptures, traditional handmade techniques, organically certified materials and luxury quality. Their wearable art pieces elevate slow fashion to luxury.

Dr. Zuhal Kuvan-Mills is the artist, designer, and earth ambassador for Green Embassy, Australia’s first internationally recognized organic fashion label. She focuses on modern, minimalist, functional, and alluring garments for earth-friendly consumers. Zuhal is inspired by ancient textile crafting traditions and the vivid beauty of Western Australia’s bush landscapes.

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Busselton Jetty is the inaugural fashion venue of a three-month series of EFWA runway shows, exhibitions, talks and workshops in Perth, Busselton, Fremantle, and Geraldton beginning in November 2024.

Busselton Jetty

The heritage-listed jetty is one of Western Australia’s most popular tourist destinations and at 1.8 kms, holds the record as the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere and the second largest jetty in the world. 

To walk the length of the timber-piled extension in Geographe Bay will take you about 25 minutes. It even has its own train system for those who prefer to sit back and enjoy the 3.6 kms round trip journey.

Busselton Jetty attractions include an Interpretive Centre and Underwater Observatory, plus it is recognized as one of Australia’s top shore dives, home to over 300 marine species. Below the Jetty piles create an artificial reef, host to a multitude of vividly-coloured tropical and sub-tropical corals, sponges, fish and invertebrates.

EFWA 2024

EFWA24 will present ’Closet of the Anthropocene” to showcase the collections of more than 60 international and Australian designers who source sustainable materials and textiles to create one of a kind fashions.

Eco Fashion Week Australia 2024 will provide a global stage for designers to present fashion in a new age of the Anthropocene, a term used to describe an epoch shaped the impact of human activity on climate change.

EFWA founder, curator and visual artist Zuhâl Kuvan-Mills said EFWA was delighted to be partnering with the iconic Busselton Jetty, an award-winning Advance Eco Tourism operator in Western Australia.

Related Story: EFWA 2022 hosts largest international sustainable fashion week

Human impact on climate change

“We are now working together to bring global attention to our concerns surrounding the human impact on climate change, with the stunning backdrop of the jetty becoming a canvas for our fashion artists,” Dr. Kuvan-Mills said.

Updated: This story has been update with EFWA rescheduled in November 2024.

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Titled “Closet of the Anthropocene,” their third international event will include a series of fashion runway shows and exhibitions at various art galleries starting in November 2024.

“Anthropocene” defines a new geological epoch or planetary era in which human activity impacts the ecological balance of the planet and is the main driver of change, on a global scale.

Above Photo: The Face of EFWA 2022, Talisha Lee-Karuthiru. | Zuhal Kuvan-Mills

Fashion artists invited to exhibit

EFWA 2024 will explore this geological era and its implications on design, textiles, art and fashion disciplines. 

For the past several years, the luxury fashion industry has focused on their sustainability practices which has become top of mind with consumers as to the impact of manufacturing on our planet. 

The festival will bring together over 50 international and Australian fashion artists using sustainable textiles and fabrics. Plus examine the relationships between fashion and geology, and the future of Anthropocene.

Related story: Australian Eco-Fashion designers steal the show

Swan Valley to host EFWA 2024

The fashion shows are held in Swan Valley region followed by art exhibitions in Fremantle, Geraldton and Bunbury, Western Australia.

”I hope that visitors who view our shows and exhibitions will think deeply about the beauty of our world and how important it is for us to protect it,” said Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, Visual Artist, Curator and Founder of EFWA which is based in Western Australia. “We have a responsibility as fashion artists and consumers, to do our part in protecting our planet.” 

EFWA’ Closet of Anthropocene will faciliate a discussion with artist and consumers on waste, pollution, consumption and environmental destruction. Also make a call for optimism with new ways of imagining a vibrant fashion future.

Watch for further EFWA 2024 news here at Style Drama.

Updated: This story has been updated with EFWA scheduled in November 2024.

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On opening night, Douglas Shire Council Mayor Julia Leu stated, “our economy is the environment”.

EFWA Master of Ceremonies Angie Ayers concluded four fabulous days of eco-friendly designer shows with a heartfelt challenge that even the smallest gesture can make a difference. Stated passionately, we must take care of our oceans for future generations.

The highlight of the evening was Zuzana Hrubosfrom Prague who present European chic outfits accented with led lighting. Made from natural textiles, including sustainable fabrics, all are made in Europe. Her look would not be out of place in Berlins’ stylist street scene.

Another inspiring fashion show was The Junk Weaversfrom Carins who hold workshops on how to create fashion accessories such as handbags from recycled wrappers and other materials.

The final runway show of the evening was fashion art by Studio Membrane. Titled “The Claws of Clothes”, if clothing had claws, how would this change their state of existence? The garments are created without any sewing and made from wool and wool resin which is biodegradable.

The crowning achievement of EFWA was the support of over 30 Australian and international fashion designers and another 60 plus volunteers producing a world class eco-fashion show in Port Douglas, demonstrating their support for the Great Barrier Reef restoration and the Daintree rainforest.

EFWA founder Zuhal Kuvan-Mills and her talented team now return to Perth for an even bigger set of eco-fashion runway shows at the Fremantle Community Bank Oval from November 15 – 19th.

Bravo to all you all for making a real difference!

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Eco Fashion Week Australia has been successful in bringing together both established and emerging fashion designers as well as artists, activists, media, businesses, local governments and the broader community to raise awareness for environmentally conscious fashion in both Australia and on a global scale.

Now in its second year, Eco Fashion Week Australia’s expansion to a traveling, two-city runway show is all due to the efforts of Zuhal Kuvan-Mills, founder of EFWA and eco-friendly luxury fashion designer. Through both her own line Green Embassy and EFWA, Kuvan-Mills promotes sustainability and slow fashion with passion and determination.

Above photo: Green Embassy collection by Zuhal Kuvan-Mills | Model Lauren Di Meglio – Dane Selby Modelling Agency |Make-up Jessica Vlog | Photo Aiden Green

Port Douglas: Fashion for the Rainforest

Home to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest reef system – and the vast tropical biodiverse rainforest of Daintree National Park, Port Douglas is the perfect location to bring home Eco Fashion Week Australia 2018 message of how beautiful and yet fragile our environment is and how we must consume less fashion in our daily lives in order to protect our planet.

After Port Douglas, the show travels to Fremantle, the port of Perth, for a second week of designer fashion shows. Both venues will feature business and educational programs, eco seminars and mending workshops, providing opportunities for each of us to learn how we can make a difference in our world.

As a media sponsor, Style Drama will be reporting on the latest eco fashion news from the front row and offering up luxury travel stories on the best of Port Douglas and Fremantle’s hotels, restaurants and attractions such as wellness, adventure and shopping options during the week.

Sustainability is the New Black

Zuhal Kuvan-Mills will be introducing Green Embassy’s new collection which is inspired by the Carnaby’s Cockatoo, an endangered species in Australia whose numbers are declining rapidly.

With their natural habitat of native vegetation cleared by urban development, this species is expected to be extinct in less than a decade. As the population declines, they are no longer breeding in up to a third of their breeding sites.

The cockatoos form lifelong pairs and live up to 50 years in the wild. But with a large portion of the population past breeding age, and very few younger birds to keep the species from declining, this bird’s days appear to be numbered.

Zuhal Kuvan-Mills created her Carnaby’s Cockatoo collection using a myriad of fabrics such as Australian merino wool, alpaca fiber, organic cotton, silk as well as cheesecloth and recycled window dressings. This represents just a sample of her collection which will be featured at both locations.

Eco Fashion Week Australia 2018

With the goal to inspire us to change our perspectives on fashion, Eco Fashion Week Australia showcases the most creative, artistic and beautiful designs while remaining socially and environmentally responsible. Need proof that environmentally conscious fashion doesn’t have to be drab? Look no further than Style Drama. Our coverage of the exquisite and fashion-forward collections at Eco Fashion Week Australia 2018 will make you an green fashion convert.

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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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After two years of planning, EFWA Founder Zuhal Kuvan-Mills has delivered a world-class fashion week for Australia, driven by her personal commitment to save our planet from ourselves and future generations.

The gala evening began with a traditional dance ceremony by Xpression Models followed by a preview of over 40 eco-designers and student fashions from Curtin University Design WA, ECU Western Australia, Melbourne Fashion Institute and RMIT University, Victoria.

Tonight’s runway program opens with luxury haute couture Green Embassy Australia, followed by Jude Taylor Australia, Sylvia Calvo Spain, Malawi Africa, Connally McDougall Canada and Shravan Kumar India.

The real test for EFWA is now with the eco-fashion designers, show us what you got.

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The goal of EFWA is to collaborate with fashion designers, artists, the media, industry and government to raise awareness about environmentally conscious fashion. This weeklong event will showcase 44 local and international fashion designers and will include two unique curated shows plus performances by three talented local musicians.

Here are some of the designers I will be watching out for at EFWA.

Elle Evans – Australia

Elle Evans is all about sustainable swim, beach and activewear. Made from 100% recycled fabrics, her garments allow you to be fashionable without negatively impacting the environment. Her mission is to make you look good on the beach, by the pool or at the gym while minimizing your ecological footprint as much as possible.

Selçuki & Ali – Turkey

Selçuki & Ali transforms traditional fibers into unique and wholly- handcrafted fashion and lifestyle products through innovative production methods. Expect timeless, elegant pieces made from natural fibres from this dynamic duo.

John Ablaza – Philippines

John Ablaza is a Manila-based international eco fashion designer who is known for his use of sustainable local materials in his designs. His awe-inspiring collections have graced the runways of Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Bahrain, Sydney and Toronto.

UpCycling Challenge by Marilyn R Wilson, International

The EFWA Upcycling Challenge by Marilyn R. Wilson will feature the works of 21 fashion designers from 12 countries. The designers are challenged to create one runway look from used men’s dress shirts, showcasing their personal perspective on fashion. Though the sky’s the limit in terms of concept, they are required to incorporate at least one detail from the original garment rather than simply using the skirts as fabric.

Eco Fashion Week Australia

November 23 – 27, 2017

Perth, Australia

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