Secrets from the Eco Runway – Tips from a Sustainable Fashion Insider
- Brainz Magazine
- May 12
- 4 min read
Marcia BNoose, born Marcia Anita Hobbs, is a renowned human rights activist, Fashion Designer, and Model/ Actress in Australia. Founder of the 'Human Rights Brand' Barbwire Noose Clothing, Marcia is recognized for her charitable contributions, autobiographical authoring, and pageantry title holdings within the pageant world.
Here are a few tips and tricks from a Sustainable Fashion Industry expert who has dedicated many aspects of her fashion career to the Eco Fashion Runway. Being a responsible Fashion King or Queen is as easy as A, B, C.
So, the first thing you think about when somebody says sustainable fashion is the good old op shop. Opportunity stores are a fantastic way to preserve our environment and give quality garments a second life. And if that trusty old op shop doesn't pop straight into your mind, I'm pretty sure organic materials do. Fashion from nature is another amazing way to protect our environment. Though sustainable fashion means so much more than just organic materials and opportunity (OP) shopping. Sustainable fashion also considers the manufacturing process. Ethical employment standards. Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility.
Nobody is perfect, no Brand, nor Industry leader has no room to improve. The responsibility to evolve and protect the environment e impact is on all of us. And it is okay to, from time to time, expect more. Fast fashion and our fast-paced lives go hand in hand. Clothing waste contributes to a large percentage of landfills, and toxic chemicals poison rivers globally.
What's the real cost of some of your wardrobe? Higher than the price tag at times. The following are some tips and tricks to make your style a little more eco-friendly.
1. Annual wardrobe assessment
This is such an important step to keeping a tab on your wardrobe. Know Thy Self via Thy Closet. Staple items matter, and they should have longevity in your wardrobe. Jackets, your favourite tees (band, brand, plain, staple – a black and a white snug fitting singlet is a must-have for every wardrobe!), jeans, and casual pants all should have a special place in your wardrobe, which you know about!
Anything you find that you have outgrown or outlived in good condition, now is the time to bundle those goodies up and to share the love with your local op-shop. Maybe take the opportunity to see if someone else’s outgoing is your new look this season!
2. Brand name quality over quantity
Having a walk-in wardrobe is the best closet, most would say. Lots of choices and lots of shoes. Yet, it is this impulse to purchase a fad that does the most damage to the environment. When ‘planking’ was a thing, not one for thinking people jumping on the bandwagon to laying on things was cool without it being parkour. Just because everyone is doing it does not make it right, and the most stand-out fashion of this century is classic, timeless, or unique. Chanel's little black dress, Alexander McQueen known for unique, controversial design and shock tactics, Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent combined the classic tuxedo with women – this individualist vision is now one of the hottest looks for girls today.
Following trends is part of fashion, yet it is the biggest problem with fashion: fast fashion. Brand-name garments are usually crafted with more time and care. The manufacturing standards differ from low-cost fashion production; therefore the more eco-conscious choice is quality over quantity. Demanding high standards at high prices not just in quality but also in corporate social responsibilities, like the environment.
I can’t afford that style to look good
Fashion is my vibe. I live it, ooze it, breathe it, and I completely understand how pricey some brand names are – but not all quality brands are out of reach. Google manufactures instead of spending 15 minutes on reels at least one day a week. Knowing brands helps keep the fashion industry accountable for its trash (not just yours).
Feedback is the best and constructive criticism or innovation – industry professionals always welcome new ideas. Being open to communication and new direction is a must in business, with new technology offering improvement to industries every day. Approaching a decade of Sustainable Fashion-focused garment production. Embracing the Eco Fashion Runway scene in 2017, after over 10 years of developing Human Rights Clothing Barbire Noose, as a no-brainer. The brand already had organic material streetwear options for years, as well as an in-house op-shop donation process. Promotional garments, BN Couture, personal items, and faulty manufacturing garments are all given a second life with local charity stores. If your favourite brand cares not about our planet, right to them. Buy more sustainable options, and demand sustainability in fashion.
3. Be conservative – needs vs greed’s
The final quick tip is easy. The cost of living is a thought for lifestyles today regarding many communities, purchasing what you need over what you want has an extra incentive. Plus, step ‘A’ showed us what we needed when we assessed our wardrobe, so going into styling our looks for this year and purchasing new threads, we know what we need when we see something we love online, in Walmart, David Jones, and Outlet shopping.
Being conservative says nothing about your budget when you’re out and about, but it says everything about you. What you stand for, care about, and project is an impression your clothes share. Having the privilege to choose to conserve our environment is cooler than choosing that it does not matter.
Speak with your wallet, choose eco where you can, consider what you put into the bin, and lead with the threads you wear to a better fashion world.
Read more from Marcia Anita Hobbs (BNoose)
Marcia Anita Hobbs (BNoose), Entrepreneur/ Activist
A life like a little rock princess at times, Marcia is a leader in legislative change, politics, and the business world. Protesting for change throughout the state of South Australia and beyond, Marcia has dedicated her life to empowering those who feel they have no power or truly do not have power at all. A student of Policy and governance, Marcia contributes to sustainable changes within government and the fashion sector. Heavily invested in environmentally friendly fashion. Marcia is bold, outspoken, and an active change-maker. Her mission is 'A Better World'.
