AS a young girl growing up in Turkey in the 1970s, many of Zuhal Kuvan-Mills' friends were forced to work in sweatshops instead of attending school due to their poor backgrounds.
The period signalled the beginning of fast fashion and consumerism in Turkey, and exposure to this environment fuelled Ms Kuvan-Mills desire to follow a completely different path.
After making the move to Australia in 2006, the purchase of a hobby farm in the Swan Valley inspired her to launch her own fashion label.
Eco-fashion and sustainability are a central element of Green Embassy, which utilises Merino and alpaca wool in its unique handmade designs.
"I am passionate about sustainability and eco-fashion, not only because of the environmental impact of mass production, but also the lack of human rights in garment factories which exploit those workers living in poverty," Ms Kuvan-Mills said.
With news of the collapse of Bangladesh's Rana Plaza, which housed five garment factories and killed more than 1000 people in 2013 still etched in her memory, Green Embassy couldn't be further from the sweatshops Ms Kuvan-Mills grew up around.
Home to 50 alpacas, the eco-fashion label's Regeneration and Earth Series collection uses alpaca wool from her own farm, while Merino wool is sourced from Kojonup.
The collection has been showcased all over the world, appearing in fashion shows in the United Kingdom, Canada, China, New Zealand, US and France.
"Merino and alpaca wool are my absolute favourite materials to work with because they are versatile, reflect the stories of sheep farming communities and align with my philosophy to nurture the environment," Ms Kuvan-Mills said.
"Hand crafted garments are unique and more sustainable because they are repairable and can be passed on for generations.
"As a textile artist I make fabric from their fibre by felting and use that fabric on my collections.
"The alpaca wool fibre doesn't have lanolin in it so it's easy to clean and very light."
Living on the land, the designer often draws inspiration from her environment, with her mind usually wandering to what type of textile she will create when shearing the alpacas.
"I see myself as part of the agricultural community and my creativity stems from the land, farming and using our primary products," Ms Kuvan-Mills said.
An interest in animals led to her initial career as a veterinary surgeon, mainly trained in agricultural animals.
Expanding on this work as an animal science lecturer in the UK, Ms Kuvan-Mills said her previous careers complemented her current role as a fashion designer that specialises in wool.
Over the past three years Green Embassy has showcased its wool designs at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days with its Regeneration Series featured at the event's black-tie dinner last year.
To best utilise the wool and maintain a commitment to zero waste production, Green Embassy employs the meditative techniques of spinning and knitting, which have become less common in our fast-paced world.
With an aim to prevent the disappearance of these skills from the next generation, at the time of writing Ms Kuvan-Mills was in the process of setting up a school in the Swan Valley to teach the two techniques.
