Emily got started with her projects because she wanted to share, communicate and be a part of the rising consumer awareness she found around her. She wanted to create a simple platform for discussion and resource sharing, and prove that sustainable living is easy and inspiring.

Emily is a designer who specializes in ethical and sustainable clothing. Her designs are all her own, and she has already collaborated with a New York label to launch her first collection. She sources her materials herself, but notes it is difficult to source from local markets because the origin and conditions of manufacture are difficult to gauge. Has it, for instance, been manufactured in environmentally sustainable ways while also using ethical labour practices? She insists, however, that sustainability does not always require a revolutionary lifestyle change. Anyone can become a more responsible consumer simply by paying greater attention to what they purchase, and where they shop.

Emily's clothes reflect her passion for sustainability. In a black jacket of her own design that doubles as a shaila when needed, and pants that she has carefully calculated the environmental impact of, she leans back to insist that mankind cannot continue with the reckless exhaustion of resources that defines its current lifestyle.

Her fashion work focuses mostly on women. Apart from designing, she also photographs quirkily dressed women in various parts of Dubai: from restaurants and walkways to cafes and clubs. She says it helps her explore the semiotics and history of dress.

She is busy setting up The Stray Thread, a web portal that she envisages becoming a resource for creative people in the Middle East – fashion designers, graphic artists, musicians, handicraft manufacturers, art supply stores, local artists and fashion venues. She sees advertising as being a potential business model for her site, but is adamant that it is primarily her contribution to the cause of sustainability, as well as a launching pad for her designs. She prides herself in ensuring flexibility and versatility as a counterpoint to the cheap disposability of contemporary fashion trends.

When asked what advice she might have for other entrepreneurs exploring sustainable businesses, or for citizens merely wanting to live more responsibly, she says awareness is the first step. There are several resources and books that make the case for sustainability, and her site, once up, will offer other resources. Everyone can – and indeed should – get involved, she says.

Connect with Emily and check out her designs http://thestraythread.com