Vivacious Eco Vixon is an eco-conscious company with a circular-economy business model. It uses clothing and textile industry waste as a raw material to make lifestyle and home decor products. The skilled artisans who make the products come from underserved community-based sewing projects. The company is working with two retailers on sustainability projects, in which it repurposes their waste by upcycling it into reusable products. It has also partnered with a corporate entity to upcycle, recycle and repurpose the uniforms of employees into other products. The business has also worked with its suppliers to show them eco-conscious circular-economy principles to use in the manufacturing of the uniforms. The company is spearheading a sewing-skills project focused on Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges, empowering the youth in the communities where these institutions are situated by teaching them how to start their own micro-enterprises. They learn the skills required to sew, do repairs, run a business and sell. Founder and chief executive Natasha Pearce established Vivacious Eco Vixon in 2019. Having worked in the clothing and textile industry for more than two decades, she had seen the waste that was created, and decided to be the change from within. Natasha has had a positive effect on the lives of the women in the sewing-skills projects, and is the Nedbank Business Ignite winner for 2023 (Western Cape).
Educational Qualifications
Fashion Design & Technology Diploma, Peninsula Technikon
Greatest achievements
- The positive effect on the lives of the women who are in the sewing-skills projects.
- Being able to divert clothing and textile industry waste from landfills.
- Being awarded the Best Women Empowerment in the Green Economy by Nedbank.
- The Nedbank Business Ignite winner for 2023 (Western Cape).
- The Circular Economy Award Winner 2023.
- The Rocket Fuel Award for the Circular Economy Accelerator 2023.
What advice would you give to future generations?
It is our greatest treasure that we have taken for granted and now it’s up to each person to make a conscious choice to do better because we know better. We can make small changes in our day-to-day lives that are not expensive, yet the ripple effect will be felt generations from now. Think about the long-term effect of your action on our planet. There is no planet B — we have to do better, for not just ourselves, but for all those still to come.