Meet Ethical Fashion Designer Kelli Donovan

We interviewed designer Kelli Donovan about manta rays, fashion waste…and her nan!

By Lucile Pease

Growing up in Australia’s countryside, spending her childhood surrounded by beautiful mountains and aesthetic landscapes, Kelli Donavon was appalled to see the unsustainable processes being used in the fashion industry to create clothing with a disregard for the impact on our environment. 

This concern caused Kelli to create a fashion brand focused on timeless and chic designs using high-quality, sustainable materials that took an ethical approach to fashion. 

We talked to Kelli about how she got her start in the fashion industry, how she approaches design and sustainability, and the current projects she is working on that have received recognition for their ethical approach to fashion. 

Our Interview With Kelli Donovan

Eluxe: How has your experience growing up in Australia shaped your design aesthetic? 

Kelli Donovan: Growing up in the bush capital of Australia, Canberra, gave me a close connection to our natural environment. Canberra is a small, sunny city surrounded by beautiful mountains, bush landscapes close to everyone’s doorstep and walking trails everywhere. We have a strong culture here with outdoor activities and sports. My aesthetic and passion for the Australian landscape and culture has definitely shaped the work I have created throughout my career in fashion.

I spent many hours as a child bush walking, spending time outdoors and camping. I come from a very creative and artistic family. This encouraged my view of the world to see the beauty in what surrounded me, especially in nature. 

Eluxe: For your collection, “Sleeping Beauties,” were you inspired by the 2024 Met Museum costume exhibit of the same name? 

Kelli Donovan: It’s actually an exciting coincidence that it was called the same name as the exhibition. My inspiration came from purely an environmental stance and to make a statement about clothing production and oversupply. So my ‘Sleeping Beauties’ Collection speaks quietly – but strongly – about this situation. 

Nan’s Influence

Eluxe: You speak briefly on your website about your grandmothers’ influence on your work. We love that! Can you speak more in depth about how your early life has influenced your career and businesses? 

Kelli Donovan: My beautiful Nan, Annie Muir, has had a great influence in my life. She was a Scottish tailor from Glasgow. Sadly she passed away when I was only about 11 years old. But I do remember her teaching me handicrafts and always being inspired by her work.

Every stitch was meaningful and was created with purpose. She always said “There is no point wasting her time and skills on a piece of cheap cloth and making something beautiful.” She would only use the best textiles to create her tailored pieces. I really believe my Nan is here sharing my journey and guiding me.

Advice To Young Designers

Eluxe: In recent years, sustainability is becoming one of fashion’s biggest trends. As someone with 30 years of experience in this industry, what advice would you give to young designers looking to dive into sustainable fashion? 

Kelli Donovan: I would definitely say to them to give it their best shot and be as creative and inventive as they can in the early years. The more they learn to experiment with design, textiles and waste their design aesthetic will be stronger. Try not to follow trends but find their unique super power.

The Manta Ray Collection

Eluxe: Many of your collections have been influenced by specific sustainable movements. For example your Manta Ray collection was influenced by ocean conservation. Would you say there is a particular cause that you are most passionate about? 

Kelli Donovan: My Mantra Collection was inspired by the people who work around saving our oceans and reducing textile and plastic waste from the oceans and ecosystems. It was also inspired by the Giant Manta Ray found in Australian oceans and around the world.

I wanted to link my collection to this majestic creature that does not harm its environment or people. It purely eats plankton and ies gently through the oceans with its gigantic fins and gentle composure.

Ultra fast fashion has created a massive issue in the impacts of ocean pollution with excess mass production, textile waste, polyesters and synthetics fabrics and landfill waste flowing into waterways and into oceans. The Manta Ray Collection was to educate the viewer about the bigger issue at hand and how we can all make small differences in our clothing purchases.

Conclusions

As consumers or aspiring fashion designers, we should be taking inspiration from Kelli’s work in the fashion industry. Her career highlights how destructive simply buying a piece of clothing can be for the environment, as well as for people.

Kelli’s approach encourages consumers, especially young ones, to think about where they spend their money. And Kelli’s way of working can also serve as inspiration for young designers’ labels. To improve upon your practices, begin participating in zero-waste design, using sustainable materials, and designing for longevity. You are the future of the fashion industry, and Kelli is your pioneer.

**Answers to the interview questions may have been edited to better t the format of this article