Is "Sustainability" in Design a Dirty Word?
MEET OUR PANEL
Aleesha Callahan, About Futures, Founder
Aleesha Callahan is a design journalist, editor and the founder of About Futures, an independent publication tracing the new era of sustainable design. With more than a decade in design media, she has edited Habitus, Australian Design Review and Indesign Live. She consults on communications for clients, including the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. aboutfutures.co
Nickolas Gurtler: Nickolas Gurtler Office,
Nickolas Gurtler: Nickolas Gurtler Office, an award-winning interior design studio delivering residential and commercial projects in Australia and the USA. Advocating for Australian design, emerging makers and local artisans, the practice was shortlisted for Designer of the Year at the 2025 IDEA Awards. nickolasgurtler.com.au / @nickolasgurtler
Joshua Ellis, Cultivated, Brand Director
Josh Ellis is a sustainability innovator leading circular design and material stewardship across the interior and furnishing sectors. For two decades, he has championed design longevity, transparency and material innovation, transforming the commercial interiors sector through ethical practice and support for Australian craftsmanship as Brand Director for Cultivated. As Cultivated brand director, Josh produced the RE:BORN exhibition. cultivated.com.au
Anne-Maree Sargeant (AMS), Authentic Design Alliance
Anne-Maree Sargeant has advocated for the design industry for three decades, blending legal expertise with industry knowledge to defend original design and confront furniture piracy. Formerly editor-at-large of Belle magazine and part of the founding team at Space Furniture, AMS is committed to strengthening Australia's furnishing and interior design landscape and now hosts the Design Made podcast, presented by the Authentic Design Alliance. @authentic_design_alliance
THE CONVERSATIONS WE MUST BE HAVING
The word "sustainability" has lost its way.
Once a serious commitment, it has become marketing-speak, and the open door to greenwashing.
When everything is labelled sustainable, the word stops meaning anything.
The harder questions get buried: where did the material come from, how long will it last, and where does it go at the end?
So what conversations should we be having instead, and how do we contribute to genuine change?
This moderated panel poses a direct question to designers, specifiers, makers, and brands: how much of your work is actually doing real good for circularity and regenerative outcomes, and how much is performative?
Strip out the "eco" labels, the "sustainable materials palette", the green photography. What is left? A circular system? A regenerative outcome? Or a story?
We unpack five practical levers: material choices, product stewardship, nature-positive impact, business behaviour, and advocacy.
Small actions count. Personal decisions count. The choices you make at the brief count most of all.
Proceeds support the Authentic Design Alliance advocacy and education programs.
Panel:
Aleesha Callahan, founder of About Futures, a digital magazine platform for sustainable residential design.
Nickolas Gurtler, award-winning interior design studio delivering residential and commercial projects in Australia and the USA.
Joshua Ellis, Cultivated brand director. A product stewardship specialist, focused on circularity within the furniture industry
Led by:
Anne-Maree Sargeant, Authentic Design Alliance and Design-Made podcast host.
The evening opens with an exclusive tour of RE:BORN, a zero-waste installation by Romance Was Born and Cultivated.
A second exhibition talk will be held after the talk at approximately 7.30 pm.
Presented by: Authentic Design Alliance and Design-Made podcast
Hosted by: Artbank. Supported by: Cultivated, with ADA cofounder Cult
Date: Thursday 16, July, 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm
Venue: Artbank, 18–24 Down Street, Collingwood
What you will take away:
How the decisions made at the start of projects impact the carbon footprint
Sharper questions to ask before you specify, recommend or buy products and materials
A clear-eyed view of product and material stewardship, and what circularity actually looks like once you strip away marketing buzzwords and unsupported claims
A way to talk about your business behaviour without greenwashing or staying silent
Practical advocacy you can carry into your next brief, project or conversation
Tour and talk:
6.00 pm: Exclusive RE:BORN exhibition tour
6.30 pm: Moderated panel discussion
7.30 pm: Light refreshments and conversation, and second RE:BORN guided tour
8.00 pm: Event ends
PRESENTED BY:
Authentic Design Alliance
A for-purpose industry association, the Authentic Design Alliance (ADA) leads Australia's fight against furniture design theft, advocating for authenticity and innovation while promoting sustainability through stronger intellectual property protections.
The ADA unites creators, brands, manufacturers, and specifiers who value original design, working toward a future in which counterfeit designs are illegal and the environmental consequences of copy culture are recognised.
Become an ADA Member, authenticdesignalliance.org
Design Made podcast
Hosted by Anne-Maree Sargeant (AMS), Design Made shares conversations about thoughtful consumption of objects for home, business, life and living. We believe people should choose well and buy once.
Presented by Authentic Design Alliance, we connect creators, makers, retailers, innovators and distributors committed to authentic design with a wider audience, asking better questions about what they buy.
Find new episodes, @design_made_
RE:BORN exhibition: beauty in reinvention
RE:BORN is the most expressive iteration by Cultivated, a maximalist, immersive showcase where fashion, art and design converge in a richly layered environment shaped by transformation, texture and imagination.
A powerful reminder that design can revive, reframe and reawaken what was once overlooked, giving it presence, purpose and a new life, one framed in beauty. Set within an immersive environment at Artbank Melbourne, the audience is invited to reconsider the value of materials and discover beauty in reinvention.
SUPPORTED BY:
Cultivated
Cultivated advocates for the longevity of good design. Considered, quality products belong in a circular system: kept in use, repaired, recovered and refurbished. Working with Australian craftspeople, Cultivated reduces reliance on finite resources, raw material extraction, landfill use, pollution, and emissions throughout a product's life cycle. cultivated.com.au
Artbank
Established in 1980, Artbank is a unique public art collection and leasing program built on a simple philosophy: art is for everyone. With more than 11,000 works by over 3,500 Australian artists, Artbank nurtures Australian creativity by acquiring works from living artists and shares them with the public through the leasing scheme. artbank.gov.au
Cult Design
Cult is a leading voice in contemporary design, representing internationally respected and locally celebrated furniture, lighting and accessories for residential and commercial spaces. For thirty years, Cult has worked with architects, designers and design-conscious clients to deliver considered, long-life solutions, and is a cofounder of the Authentic Design Alliance. cultdesign.com.au
FAQs
- Who is the panel for?
Designers, specifiers, makers, brands, retailers, educators, and design/art lovers.
- Who is the Authentic Design Alliance (ADA)?
The Authentic Design Alliance was founded in 2010 to tackle the rising problem of replica furniture. As an industry association, it supports the furniture and interior design sector in advocating for and educating about the importance of buying authentic, licensed furniture products.
- How can I join the ADA and become a member?
Authentic Design Alliance memberships are open to designers, brands and specifiers. Find out more at authenticdesignalliance.org or book a discovery call here
- What is RE:BORN?
RE:BORN exhibition: beauty in reinvention
RE: BORN is the most expressive iteration by Cultivated, a maximalist, immersive showcase where fashion, art and design converge in a richly layered environment shaped by transformation, texture and imagination.
A powerful reminder that design can revive, reframe and reawaken what was once overlooked, giving it presence, purpose and a new life, one framed in beauty.
Set within an immersive environment at Artbank Melbourne, the audience is invited to reconsider the value of materials and discover beauty in reinvention.
- What time is the guided tour of the RE:BORN exhibition?
6.00-6.30 pm tour, and a second tour will follow the talk at approximately 7.30 pm.
- Will the event be live-streamed?
At this stage, no, but if you contact the organisers, you can be updated if a livestream is organised. Contact the ADA.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
