What happens when creativity, nature and innovation come together?
In this episode of Empowerment Talk, Carmen Panepinto Zayati meets Eleonora Riccio, eco-designer, for a conversation about the fascinating intersection between fashion and botany and about the possibility of creating beauty while remaining conscious of our impact on the planet.
Eleonora’s journey shows how a personal passion can evolve into a creative path with a wider purpose. Inspired by the botanical world, she explores new ways of approaching fashion through sustainability, environmental awareness and a close connection with nature.
Creativity Can Become a Tool for Change
Fashion is often associated with aesthetics, trends and personal expression. But it can also become a space for experimentation and innovation.
During the conversation, Eleonora reflects on how nature can inspire not only the appearance of a creation, but also the way we think about materials, production and our relationship with the environment.
Her experience is an example of how different disciplines can meet in unexpected ways. Art, design, science and environmental awareness do not have to exist in separate worlds. When they interact, they can generate new ideas and new approaches to everyday challenges.
Following Curiosity Beyond Traditional Boundaries
One of the ideas at the heart of STEM in Glitter is that there is no single path to innovation.
Curiosity can begin with a plant, a fabric, an experiment, a design problem or simply a question: Could this be done differently?
Eleonora’s work reminds us of the importance of exploring those questions and of allowing our interests to cross traditional professional and academic boundaries.
For younger generations in particular, this message matters. The careers of the future will increasingly require people who can connect knowledge from different fields, combining technical understanding with creativity, imagination and social responsibility.
Sustainability Starts with the Way We Think
Sustainability is not simply a label attached to a finished product. It begins much earlier, with the choices we make, the questions we ask and the way we imagine the relationship between people, objects and the natural world.
Through her perspective as an eco-designer, Eleonora invites us to look at fashion differently: not only as something we wear, but as part of a much larger environmental system.
Her story is also a reminder that innovation does not always mean creating something more complex. Sometimes it means observing nature more carefully, reconsidering established habits and finding more thoughtful ways of creating.
Watch the Conversation
Discover the full Empowerment Talk with Eleonora Riccio and explore how fashion, botany, sustainability and creativity can come together.
Follow STEM in Glitter for more conversations with women and professionals whose ideas, careers and experiences can inspire the next generation to explore, create and think differently.