Eva Malmström Shivdasani is an inspirational force to be reckoned with.
Having once graced the covers of magazines like Elle, Vogue and Marie Claire, to owning her own fashion label in Paris, the Swedish-born ex-model is now in charge of one of the most luxurious property brands in the world. Leaving behind the bright lights, big hair and busy cities of the 80’s, Eva now attracts a different kind of following as founder and creative director of Soneva.
Her life, for over two decades, has revolved around creating worlds that seem to marry fantasy with reality.
In 1995, when the Maldives was all about the masses, Eva and her husband, Sonu, disrupted the industry by building Soneva Fushi, the first “castaway” luxury resort on the deserted island of Kunfunadhoo.
Their initial plan was never to build more than one. Now, twenty two years later, the Soneva brand has grown organically to include Soneva Kiri (in Koh Kood, Thailand), Soneva in Aqua (a super luxury yacht experience) and most recently, Soneva Jani (also in the Maldives). The Shivdasani’s also founded the Six Senses Resorts & Spas, across South East Asia and Europe, which they sold in 2012.
Conceiving the “slow life” mantra, Eva immediately found her purpose. With a legendary reputation for a meticulous eye and a no-nonsense commitment to preserving and respecting the environment and its inhabitants, Eva ensures that every piece it takes to build a Soneva property is sustainable and natural. Beyond that, little details (that make a big difference) like the use of only glass bottles* and paper straws, are all thanks to Eva’s vision of respecting our fragile ecosystem. With each resort that’s built, care is taken to work WITH nature, not AGAINST it.
In this issue of “Sunday Sessions”, Eva responds to my “Who.What.When.Where.How.Why.” interview from the comfort of her airplane seat.
WHO.
All my grown-up life, I have done whatever I could for the environment and the animals.
Before I started the hotel business, I was a fashion designer and at the same time I was modeling. It was actually a good combination, as when I had my own fashion company in Paris, the fashion magazines offered to photograph my dresses if I agreed to be the model.
Cosmopolitan (UK) even gave me 8 pages; four with my company designs and four with my crazy personal designs, which at the time were clothes wrapped around the body, without any seams.
I designed many things for clients who also hired me as a model for their products. I always saw modeling as a “trampoline” for many other professions. If I hadn’t made hotels, I would probably be a photographer today. I have always had a passion, especially for black and white photos, and I used to make my own prints.
WHAT.
I had just met my future husband Sonu and I took him to Maldives to show him my paradise. I had discovered Maldives earlier on a photo shoot.
WHEN.
We started to go there for every holiday we had, and finally decided we wanted to live in the Maldives, and the only solution was to build a small resort.
WHERE. (Where the inspiration/need came from to start the brand)
In the Maldives. We wanted to share the beauty of the country we had discovered, and to help the locals lead a better life. (The) Maldivians was very poor at the time. They were mostly living on fishing, and didn’t even have easy access to fresh vegetables and fruit.
HOW.
It was very hard to get any investment – as no one believed in us. So in the end, we had to put our own funds in, along with a small loan from a Thai Bank. We were the first to open a high-end resort in the Maldives, which at the time was “a diver’s paradise” with very low room rates.
WHY.
I really wanted to prove that a resort could be made with totally sustainable woods and other products. We didn’t cut the trees when we built the resort, instead we moved the villas around them. Our personal villa was cut into three pieces to accommodate three wonderful big trees.
Some of our guest villas have a palm or a tree go through them !
It was very difficult to make our local hosts (employees) understand my philosophy (including my husband!) but everyone came around and are now strong advocates for the environment and the animals. (It’s like a zoo at Soneva Fushi.) Nobody would dream of killing any animals on the island (and there are no dangerous animals at the Sonevas in the Maldives).
We also care a lot about the local children and have started a campaign to teach all children to swim. They have never loved the ocean because they don’t know what beauty it holds, but when they see it, they are mesmerized, and no longer throw any rubbish into it.
We bring 40 children from Maldivian schools every year to Soneva Fushi and teach them about the environment and how to take care of it. Then they will go home and teach their parents.
To find out more about Soneva’s commitment to sustainability, click HERE.
*Read more about what Soneva does with its glass bottles once they’ve been used.
@DiscoverSoneva on Instagram.