Happy Wednesday! It is time for another spotlight feature. And since yesterday was Earth Day, the timing for this feature couldn't be more perfect!
Zuhal is the amazing artist and designer behind
Green Embassy, Australia's first internationally recognized organic fashion label. Green Embassy focuses
on traditional handmade techniques, organically certified materials and luxury quality and believes sustainability should be at the heart of the fashion and textile industry.
How did you get started?
I graduated in 2010 with a degree in visual arts. My exhibitions were usually based on textile art as well as photography that focused on the women's rights and the environment, which can be found on http://zuhalkuvan-mills.com/portfolio/. Soon after, I began my certified organic textile art company to create functional artwork into blankets, throws and wall hangings to be use interior design elements. My textile works can also be found at http://atelierzuhal.com/textiles/.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The best part of my job is getting to create my own garments and textiles from a single fiber. It involves much intensive manual labor and countless hours. All of my pieces are made of certified organic material (GOTS), and I am also an Alpaca farmer, which means I can get my material right from my backyard. I love that I depend on my own farm for materials, and truly enjoy creating my pieces from scratch. I also love that as an artist I don't have to text as a form of communication; I make a statement withmy hands through every piece of clothing, and every little detail of a garment. I get to see my work, grace the runway the same way any other artist views their work at an art exhibition in a gallery, but the difference is that I also get to tell the fashion industry that I was able to make wearable pieces of art while still caring for the environment, avoiding pesticides, and caring for wildlife. I feel very lucky to be able to concentrate on eco-conscious fashion, and hopefully help to inspire other young designers to take a similar approach towards their brands.
What are the biggest challenges?
Time and cost are two major challenges running in my company and designing every piece that goes into the collections. Nowadays people are so used to fast-fashion and cheap clothing without realizing the true cost of their environment and human rights. There's a huge understanding as to why my pieces aren't fit for certain people, but a lot of care and authenticity goes into each garment that I work on. If you look at other companies, they don't think about the animals they are slaughtering, or the people's right that they are abusing in order to create thousands of the same pieces.
My garments are placed at a certain price point because they are made by hand with only the best organically certified materials. The fact that I take care of my land and animals is also a big cost compared to conventional agriculture. I also pay fair wages to all of my employees, which is more than I can say to other companies manufacturing out of countries like Bangladesh.
What inspires you? And where do you look for inspiration?
Women! I love to see a woman walking tall and confidently in one of my designs. I always have the female figure in mind, as well as what a woman today would want when working on a new design. I'm also very inspired by the Australian landscape; the authentic nature, bright colors, and beautiful flowers always spark up new ideas for me.
What is your favorite thing in your closet?
My thrift store findings which are usually made of vintage silk, wool, and cotton! I've collected vintage items from thrift stores here and they are over the past 20 years, which I have built into a large collection of interesting items, so I have always something to wear at any occasion.
What are some of your favorite trends right now?
I'm currently following along the lines of natural chunky fabrics in sophisticated and sexy design. I like when sustainable products are worked into timeless and sexy designs that any woman can wear. I also really love embroidered and felt textures going on right now. Highly artistic pieces always seem to call out to me more than any kind of trend.
Thanks so much for Zuhal for taking the time to talk to me! Make sure check out
Green Embassy!
*all images thanks to Green Embassy
