Ship to Shore
by Melanie Winters photos Skylos
with Ella Peters, Founder of Skylos Collective
Former crew member Ella Peters transitions to land by starting her own sustainable, vegan, luxury pet accessory company. I was looking forward to hearing more about this move from ship to shore and her journey so far…..
Journey of Discovery
worked remotely for a United Nations ECOSOC con-
From a young age, Ella was sailing at weekends on
sultancy on sustainable fashion based in Argentina.
local rivers in the beautiful county of Suffolk, UK.
Both of these roles formed part of her degree studies.
This was mostly on her Topper and from here, she
Ella loved her work on board, having looked after
discovered her real love of the sea and sailing.
children with special needs and seeing them blossom
“After leaving school, I knew I didn’t want to go di-
during their time together. Most of the families she
rectly to university, as I wasn’t especially passionate
works with are now repeat clients – some with very
about any specific subject. I decided that spending
last-minute requests: “I received a call recently asking
some time travelling and experiencing life would
if I could travel with the family to the Bahamas the
stand me in good stead for whatever lay ahead.”
following day! But as children have a habit of growing
Having spent a few years working as a stewardess on private and charter yachts, Ella was now keen to return to education and hopefully stay in Europe. Then she found the almost perfect degree course in the Netherlands and started her studies in sustainable development through the lens of fashion. “Throughout my studies, I worked as a freelance yacht nanny. The roles complemented each other perfectly with university terms matching school holidays. I had the absolute pleasure of working with incredible families from around the globe. The roles were always exciting – from creating arts and crafts to sailing regattas, looking after babies and toddlers, jet skiing with my charges, and exploring destinations.” During this time, Ella also had the opportunity to work for an ethical knitwear and crochet manufacturer with indigenous artisans in Bolivia. She also
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up, there comes a time when they need less and less nanny support.”
Departure from the Dog Days of Yachting Ella has been mostly land-based for five years now, having realised how freelance work makes the unique struggles of working on board less overwhelming. This is especially true with round-the-clock care roles. This gave her the time and opportunity to start her new dog accessory brand, Skylos Collective. “Last year I founded Skylos Collective, an ethical canine atelier. I wanted to create a range of vegan leads, collars and poop bag holders with sustainability and style. Our vegan range is PETA approved and is making its mark with discerning dog owners who are in search of luxury combined with holistic and sustainable values.”
The Islander #306