Lilly Cavallin, a Ferntree Gully resident with a passion for fashion design, has successfully turned her childhood dream into reality. Throughout her three years at Box Hill Institute (BHI), Cavallin’s dedication to sustainable fashion and innovative design practices earned her multiple awards, including recognition at the Melbourne Fashion Week student show.
Cavallin’s final collection, “OMIT,” was showcased at BHI’s end-of-year fashion event on December 5, where she and her classmates, alongside students from hospitality and floristry programs, celebrated the completion of their studies.
The young designer, who has always been drawn to unconventional materials, focused on sustainability for her collection. She aimed to reduce the fashion industry’s environmental footprint by repurposing materials that would typically be discarded.
“I wanted to omit nothing and use everything, so I wasn’t leaving behind a massive footprint,” Cavallin said, highlighting her commitment to sustainability.
Her inspiration came from an unlikely source—the automotive industry. Cavallin, along with a friend, visited a scrapyard to explore how materials like car seat leather, often left to deteriorate, could be repurposed into fashion. Her love for working with leathers, however, led her to experiment with both animal-based and synthetic materials, encountering challenges with durability and environmental concerns.
In her first year at BHI, she used real goat suede, but faced resistance due to ethical concerns about animal-based fabrics. In her second year, she switched to polyester leathers, only to find that the synthetic material deteriorated quickly with use. This prompted Cavallin to explore a balance between sustainability and durability in her designs.
Determined to push boundaries, Cavallin salvaged old car seats from a scrapyard in Kilsyth, using their panelled structure to inspire her garments. The process of working with the material was challenging, but Cavallin embraced it as a creative opportunity.
The designer also embraced cutting-edge technology to further enhance the sustainability of her work. By using Browzwear, a virtual pattern-making tool, Cavallin was able to create digital versions of her designs, minimizing waste from fabric samples. This innovative approach earned her the Digital Design Award at the BHI Odyssey Fashion Show.
“Using Browzwear allowed me to reduce the number of physical samples we had to make,” Cavallin explained. “I used unconventional fabrics, like carbon fibre, which wasn’t in the Browzwear library. It was exciting to see the team incorporate my fabrics into their database, allowing future designers to use them.”
Cavallin’s success didn’t stop there. She also won the prestigious Runway Award, voted the favorite collection of the night by RAW, which led to an internship opportunity with the label.
Looking ahead to 2025, Cavallin is set to start a full-time role with the Thomas Cook brand, where she has been supported throughout her studies. She began as an intern in her first year and gradually worked her way up to a design assistant position for the upcoming year.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity with Thomas Cook, as it aligns with my interest in streetwear,” she said. “I’m also excited about my internship with RAW and eager to learn from both companies.”
With a promising career ahead, Lilly Cavallin’s dedication to sustainable fashion and innovative design is sure to make her a rising star in the industry.
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