Becky Smouha from Rag and Trader won the award for Excellence in Sustainability for her carbon-conscious fashion

Owner of ethically sustainable clothing store Rag and Trader, Ms Smouha is conscious of her carbon-footprint.

“It’s about being conscious of every single dollar you spend, you’re telling the shops that you buy from what you want,” she said.

“It’s about being aware of where your stuff is coming from, who’s making it and how it came to be on your body.”

The store opened on $500 of Ms Smouha’s own money more than a year ago and sustainable fashion is in her blood.

Her grandfather was instrumental in the inception of the rag trade in Australia and was one of the first fabric merchants in the country.

“I kind of grew up around fabrics and handmade things, things that took time to make,” Ms Smouha said.

“I’m pretty passionate about it, I’ve got a background in fashion, journalism and sustainability.

“The whole idea behind the store is that it’s an honest rag trade and everything has been thought-out and we know where everything comes from.”

All brands stocked in the store have a transparent supply chain and everything has an element of sustainability, from the swing tags to the fabrics.

Ms Smouha works with a village in Indonesia to create her brand Ellington, a mix of Australian and Indonesian made garments.

“I’ve been going to Bali since I was six-years-old, I was legitimately on my own feet walking through Seminyak and I randomly met this lady with a tiny little store,” she said.

“She was making boutique handmade fabric, we started working together with her and her family and that’s kind of where it started.”

In the beginning Ms Smouha had her samples made in a factory in China, it wasn’t until her uncle visited the factory that she learned the conditions were not ethical.

“We kind of got to see first hand how everything is made and where the profit is actually going, which is usually just to the company, into their pockets," she said.

“You’re making fabrics and things that haven’t really had any thought behind them, the fabrics they’re producing don’t consider lifespan.

“This is the beginning, this is where the seed needs to spread and it’s about opening up conversation as well.”

Mr Smouha’s carbon-conscious attitude to fashion has earned her recognition across the region.

At the NSW Regional Business Awards in Tamworth Ms Smouha was awarded Excellence in Sustainability for her work at Rag and Trader.