Eco Fashion Week Australia: a lifeline for traditional craft
In a world of fast fashion and hyper-consumption, Zuhal Kuvan-Mills - a Perth-based visual artist and veterinary surgeon-turned-eco-fashion pioneer - had a vision: that fashion and art could be a force for cultural preservation and environmental healing.
So in 2017, she founded the social enterprise Eco Fashion Week Australia (EFWA) - supporting eco fashion designers through runway shows, exhibitions, workshops, artist talks and seminars.
“Handmade textile traditions are being displaced by mass production and throwaway culture,” Zuhal says.
“Without platforms to champion slow, sustainable and handmade textiles, the craft risks being lost forever.”
EFWA has showcased eco designers in Western Australia and Queensland, hosted seminars at major Australian universities, extended its reach to Italian audiences in Florence, and is currently partnering with the Sulawesi Government and Indonesian Embassies to preserve endangered Donggala traditional weaving.
EFWA works directly with artisan communities whose livelihoods depend on handcraft, re-investing 60 per cent of its surplus back into the business, to ensure the work and tradition continues.
“We empower communities, support artisans and promote fair trade, with a mission to keep traditional, handmade textile craft alive for generations to come,” Zuhal says.
Social Enterprise Australia is proud to welcome EFWA as our first Western Australian Member.
