Fashioning a Waste-Free Future with Liz Ngwane

“Don’t just make clothes; make clothes with purpose.” — Liz Ngwane

As we count down to World Cleanup Day 2025, For Earth’s Sake (FES) is shining a spotlight on those leading the charge against textile and fashion waste. This year’s global theme, “Tackling Textile and Fashion Waste through Circular Fashion”, is one that deeply resonates with the work of Cameroonian fashion designer and environmental advocate Liz Ngwane.

Through her sustainable brand Margo’s Mode and the groundbreaking No Waste Factory, Liz is reimagining fashion as a force for good. She transforms discarded fabrics into meaningful products, all while creating opportunities for women and persons with disabilities.

In this exclusive interview, Liz shares her journey, insights, and vision for a cleaner, more circular future.

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Part 1: The Journey

Liz, thank you for joining us! Let’s begin with your story. What inspired your transition from environmental engineering to sustainable fashion design?

Thank you very much. Actually, I didn’t transition away from environmental engineering; I’m doing both. As an environmental engineer, one of my projects is the No Waste Factory. It focuses on sustainability and textile waste. For me, it’s not just about managing waste but reducing it at the source. So my work combines both engineering and sustainable fashion.

Can you tell us the story behind Margo’s Mode and how your mother’s legacy influences your work today?

Margo’s Mode was named after my late mother, who was a fabric and cloth retailer. She often travelled to Cotonou to buy and sell clothes, and she was truly a fashionista of her time. When she passed away, I wanted a way for people to call her name without sadness. Naming the brand Margo’s Mode turned her memory into something colourful and joyful. Today, the name reflects a living legacy of my mother.

Part 2: No Waste Factory & Circular Fashion

What is the mission of the No Waste Factory and how does it work on a practical level?

The mission of Margo’s Mode—and the No Waste Factory—is to cut down on waste, starting with textiles. Practically, we focus on the three Rs: reuse, reduce, and repurpose. We sensitise the public about the environmental impact of textile waste because the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and everyone consumes from it.

With Margo’s Mode, we hand-paint African stories on clothes, which makes them valuable and less likely to be discarded. We believe that when clothes carry meaning, they can be passed down through generations instead of being thrown away. We collect data on the amount of waste that goes into the environment.

We also collect leftover fabrics from local designers and repurpose them with the help of communities, including internally displaced women. We work with centres like the Community Centre in Limbe and other local organisations. Through this, we are solving an environmental problem while providing women with skills and income opportunities.

You’ve described your work as “post-consumer zero-waste fashion.” What does that mean, and how is it different from traditional recycling?

Our work goes beyond traditional recycling. Storytelling is at the heart of what we do—we create garments that not only reduce waste but also carry cultural meaning. For us, sustainability is not only about avoiding waste; it’s about creating jobs, being transparent about our production processes, and knowing who makes our clothes. True sustainability involves both people and planet.

How does your initiative empower local communities, especially women and people with disabilities?

We mostly work with local artisans and internally displaced communities in Cameroon. By training women, especially those displaced by conflict, and collaborating with people with disabilities, we turn waste into an opportunity.

Part 3: The Bigger Picture

Textile and fashion waste is a growing issue in Cameroon and across Africa. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve seen on the ground?

One of the biggest challenges is what I call waste colonisation. Africa has become a dumping ground for second-hand clothes from the West. Many of these clothes are not reusable and end up as waste in our environment.

Ironically, African textile production itself is sustainable—our garments are usually handmade, requiring hours of work on a single piece, with very little waste. We don’t do mass production in Africa, so there is less waste. The majority of the waste we see in textiles is imported. For example, during a survey we carried out at Down Beach, Limbe, most of the textile waste washed ashore was foreign-made. It’s rare to find African-made pieces discarded there.

From your perspective, how can individuals and communities begin to take action against textile waste?

We should be able to consume locally and stop second-hand clothes that are imported. Not just to produce clothes locally, but also textile manufacturing. We have beautiful textiles. We haven’t exploited the cotton produced in the North [of Cameroon]. We haven’t exploited natural hand-dye techniques. We haven’t exploited the things that will enable us to use less water and energy in production in order to not have a negative environmental impact. If we can focus on local manufacturing, from textile to clothing, there will be a great positive impact, improving the textile industry in Cameroon and Africa.

What role do you think governments or local authorities should play in promoting circular fashion models like yours?

I wouldn’t say the government plays a big role. This is rather unfortunate. I have tried to post a narrative for sustainable fashion for a very long time. The government has not yet recognised the scale of the textile waste problem. Many textiles contain plastics and take decades to decompose, yet the issue is overlooked. Authorities act by promoting made-in-Cameroon products, regulating the influx of second-hand clothes, supporting local designers, and running public campaigns encouraging people to buy local.

Part 4: Inspiration and Next Steps

What achievement or moment in your journey has meant the most to you so far?

The greatest achievement so far is sensitizing people and seeing their mindset change. Customers who now buy from us understand that when we make clothes we have people and planet in mind, before we even think profit. Our clothes carry environmental messages like reduce, reuse, repurpose. Even in how we package our products, we emphasize a circular approach—nothing is wasted. Other designers who have given us their fabric scraps are often amazed at how beautifully these wastes are transformed.

Do you have any upcoming projects, collections, or collaborations we should look out for?

Yes! Some of our No Waste Factory pieces were recently featured in international fashion magazines, including Elle, which was an incredible moment for us. We are working on new collections this year, and you can expect to see more collaborations and awareness campaigns in the near future.

Finally, what message would you like to share with young people passionate about fashion and sustainability?

My advice is this: don’t just make clothes—make clothes with purpose. One day you won’t be here; what legacy will you leave behind? Will you leave an environment more polluted, or will you leave a footprint that shows you fought for the planet?

Fashion is a universal language. Let’s use it not just for style, but as a tool for social activism. Young designers should enter fashion not only to create beautiful garments, but to make a difference—for the people and for the planet.

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Liz Ngwane’s work is a powerful reminder that solutions to global problems can begin at the local level, with creativity, compassion, and commitment.

As we gear up for World Cleanup Day 2025, we invite you to reflect on how your choices, what you wear, what you discard, and what you support can help reduce textile waste and build a more sustainable Cameroon.

🗓 Mark your calendars:

• 📦 Clothes Donation to Orphanage – September 19

• 🧹 World Cleanup Day – September 20

  
  

Together, let’s clean up fashion—and our planet.

Volunteer for World Cleanup Day