Marci Zaroff
Meet Marci Zaroff @marcizaroff, a pioneer in the eco-lifestyle industry with over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and film producer. Through her newest company, ecofashionCORP, she offers a “Greenhouse” of sustainable fashion brands, including METAwear and YesAnd.style, as well as organic and regenerative lifestyle brands. Marci is also actively involved with numerous organizations and initiatives, including serving as Board Chair/co-founder of the Textile Exchange and supporting groups like GOTS, Lenzing, Fashion Revolution, and more.
IRK: Tell us your “Why”?
Having co-founded the world’s largest holistic health nutrition school (IIN) in 1990, while connecting with the founder of AVEDA (clean beauty) as my dear friend and mentor of 25+ years, I discovered the missing link in human & planetary wellness and coined/trademarked the term “eco-fashion” in 1995. For over three decades, my mission has been to style the world of change, while changing the world of style—proving that modern design and social/environmental accountability are not mutually exclusive. Thru inspiration, education, innovation, and collaboration, I have always been driven to revolutionize the connection from agriculture to popular culture—bridging the Treehugger with the fashionista, and the tribe with the Boardroom.
IRK: What are you most passionate about with respect to taking care of people and the planet?
I am a soil junkie and recognize that soil is the skin of the earth, and is meant to nurture and protect us. We must rebuild soil health through regenerative organic practices, restoring vital living breathing ecosystems to 1) grow food/fiber without toxic carcinogenic chemicals that destroy our air and water, while polluting our land, rivers, and oceans; (“healthy soil=healthy plants=healthy people”~Rodale); 2) sequester carbon from the atmosphere to mitigate climate change and improve water retention—making plants more resilient to severe weather events; 3) support farmer livelihoods (physical and financial), as social justice is inextricably tied to climate and environmental justice; 4) drive circular, cradle to cradle systems—what we take from the earth, we must return to the earth. As Native Americans once said, “we don’t inherit this land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” As a mother and citizen of this planet, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to protect human and environmental wellness, farmer and worker welfare, and future generations.
IRK: What are some conscious actions you implement in your daily life?
As a serial entrepreneur, my personal and professional values are aligned around “yoga off the mat.” A Yogini living a vegetarian/plant-based organic lifestyle for nearly 40 years, I am very conscious and subscribe to the 5 P’s of GOOD business: people, planet, prosperity, passion, and purpose. I minimize plastic, drive a bike or electric car, and support clean beauty, organic whole foods, and regenerative/circular fashion.
IRK: What’s your hope for the future of the planet?
I hope we can elevate our collective consciousness to (e)co-create a green, chic, and healthy future—for all species to thrive together. We need to shift the “norm” to the “alternative” and the “alternative” to the “norm”—whereby every choice we make, instead of destroying, degrading, and depleting our necessary ecosystems, can nurture, heal, protect, and serve ourselves and our Mother Earth—for generations to come.
What Sustainable Development Goal do you align with the most? (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
SDG 15: Life on Land; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production; SDG 5: Gender Equality.
