top of page
Inspire Connect Educate
Collaborating for a better tomorrow.
Designers/Makers
Founder & Designer:
Kelli Studios
KELLI DONOVAN
Kelli Donovan is the founder and lead designer of Kelli Studio, an Australian brand dedicated to sustainable and ethical fashion. With over 28 years of industry experience, Kelli is a passionate advocate for reducing fashion waste, promoting responsible manufacturing, and supporting fair supply chains. Her latest collection, Manta Ray, reclaims textiles like Japanese obis to raise awareness for ocean conservation and showcases the beauty of circular design.
Founder & Designer:
Wild Blak Arts
CASSIE LEATHAM
Cassie, of the Taungurung and Dja Dja Wurrung people from the Kulin Nation, is an Indigenous artist, master weaver, and educator. Through Wild Blak Arts, she shares cultural knowledge with students of all backgrounds. Her eco-friendly fashion label, Yanggurdi ("Walkabout"), uses upcycled and natural materials to create sustainable wearable art, advocating for a slower, ethical approach to fashion. Cassie’s work is featured in national collections and has graced runways from Milan to Melbourne, where she continues to inspire others to honor Country and rethink fast fashion’s impact.
Founder & Designer:
ə'serdiv
Irene Brown
Irene Brown, founder and designer of ə’serdiv, has nearly 25 years of experience in the Australian footwear industry. A dedicated vegan, Irene recognized the need for footwear that combined style, comfort, and ethical integrity. Witnessing the common trade-offs between aesthetics and comfort, she created ə’serdiv to redefine footwear with a simple ethos: "No more compromising."
Founder & Creative Director:
Wa-ring & Yarn Strong Sista
Annette Sax
Annette Sax (Taungurung) is the founder of Wa-ring and Creative Director of Yarn Strong Sista, an Aboriginal cultural education organization. With over 23 years as an eco toy designer and entrepreneur, she champions Aboriginal culture in her work. Under the guidance of Taungurung Elders, Annette learned to forage ochre and wattle sap, skills reflected in Wa-ring's debut collection, Nagambii, which uses ochre and charcoal pigments on linen textiles. Wa-ring garments are Fair Trade-produced in Nepal. Annette’s sustainable fashion journey is dedicated to educating about First Nations history through wearable art and uplifting First Nations women, collaborating with artists like Priscilla Reid-Loynes and Anna Hayes-Moeau.
Founder & Designer
Daniel Jean
In 2020, a filmmaking journey to India inspired a shift for this brand’s founders, twin siblings who began their journey selling vintage clothing around Melbourne. While collaborating with local artisans and tailors, they became captivated by traditional fabrics and handcrafted techniques. Partnering with Anchal from New Delhi, they transformed their store into a brand offering handmade, ethically produced apparel that blends Eastern and Western aesthetics, now featuring a dedicated women’s line.
Founder & Designer:
Neo3DT
Nat Stratos
Nat Stratos launched her jewelry line with an unexpected twist: an online tequila tasting during lockdown. Playfully dressing in Mexican attire, she crafted cactus-shaped earrings from PLA biopolymer filament using a 3D printer. When a friend shared the earrings online, demand skyrocketed, marking a refreshing start to her business after 20 years of frustration with fashion industry waste and ethics. Committed to sustainability, Nat now creates pieces meant to last, advocating for a shift from fast fashion to conscious, regenerative design.
Designer:
Better World Arts
Olivia Wilson
Olivia is junior artist of Kaurna and Narungga background. She has watched and learned from Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara artists for most of her life, learning their stories and techniques. Olivia is wearing a shirt using her own rock hole painting. She has painted a water hole, important in ancient Australia for survival of animals and people.
Founder/Creative Director
ILAND Co
Nannan Yu
We're a Melbourne based brand in Australia. At the heart of ILAND Co is a powerful insight: the bold individual who yearns for authenticity and sustainability in fashion. We stand as the antithesis to fast fashion’s echo chamber, celebrating personal style and environmental stewardship in every garment we create. Our brand is a sanctuary for the free-spirited, a canvas for the confident, and a harbour for the peace-seekers. We exist to empower and inspire, crafting clothing that’s not just worn, but lived in—garments that resonate with the individual’s essence and their commitment to the planet.
Maker
LeslieMadeit
Leslie Dundon
Leslie, the creative force behind LeslieMadeit, is an eco-maker from Melbourne dedicated to sustainability and mindful fashion. Inspired by her mother’s skills in sewing and pattern making, Leslie creates unique, upcycled garments using eco-dyeing techniques and natural fibers to reduce waste and promote environmental consciousness. Her work, including the award-winning Wearable Art Cozy Coat, champions slow fashion and empowers others to rethink fast fashion in favor of thoughtful, ethical choices that benefit both people and the planet.
Designer
Atelier Q3
Kumi Malcolm
Atelier Q3 is renowned for transforming traditional kimonos into contemporary garments with an artistic flair. Each piece is carefully created using a high standard of delicate handwork, showcasing subtle details that honor the rich history of the fabric. The fabric is meticulously chosen and skillfully designed into garments to highlight its unique qualities, under the expert eye of Kumi Malcolm. All Atelier Q3 garments are designed for ease of wear and simplicity, embracing all body shapes and sizes. By reimagining old kimonos into new, wearable art, Atelier Q3 not only preserves a cultural heritage but also promotes sustainability through upcycling. Each garment tells a story, blending tradition with modernity in a seamless harmony.
Designer/Fashion Inventor
Peekabras & It's All Love Clothing Co.
Ashley Grottoli
Ashley is a three-time global award-winning designer, professional choreographer, dance educator, and philanthropist. Her journey in fashion began after the birth of her second child, when she realized that finding fun, comfortable, and flattering clothing—especially bras—was a challenge. Determined to make a difference, Ashley created the first sustainably made, color-changing bra and apparel line designed for busy mothers. With a commitment to organic dyes, recycled fabrics, zero-waste design, and ethical sourcing, Ashley is truly dedicated to creating a better world through her innovative, eco-conscious approach to fashion.
Our designers are sending us their headshots so check back often to see who is showcasing their incredible eco designs!
Support these changemaker! Get your tickets TODAY!
bottom of page