My Work

See what I have been up to lately.

A smiling woman with glasses showing colorful fabrics against a dark wooden background.

Sue Maree’s diverse campaigns, initiatives and work are detailed here to help inspire you for your future event and helps you to appreciate how sustainable fashion can be educated.

Sue enjoys working in many different environments to connect with the audience and create the magic moments for everyone involved.  Sue works with you to make your event come to life or be that inspirational speaker that everyone walks away feeling they received alot of great take aways. The changes in the fashion industry affects everyone, no matter who you are, your lifestyle, your shopping habits, your wardrobe or budget. Being prepared for rapid change will help you transition and understand why we have no choice but to embrace it, and help create change for a better future for everyone.

A smiling woman with glasses, wearing a black blazer designed by a sustainable fashion educator, holds two plush sheep toys against a dark wooden background.
A simple four-pointed star shape with a solid tan color on a black background.

Thread Together

2024

I had the privilege of visiting their huge warehouse in Sydney and taken on a guided tour of all the operations, by the CEO, Anthony Chesler.  Thread Together is one of Australia’s biggest charities who collect clothing from brands who have excess stock and provides these clothes to people in need. Thread Together work with approx. 3,000 charities across Australia, enormous volunteer teams, mobile wardrobe vans, wardrobes to women’s refuges, an instore experience for some, but mostly sending packages to where they are helping flood, fire victims or any other crisis centre. I created some social media posts about brand excess but also personal excess clothing to educate about the importance of Reuse, finding another purpose for unwanted clothing.

We need to change our behaviours about buying too much and then having waste, but it’s also vital to change overproduction. All these initiatives help to reduce fashion waste going to landfill. It is a most inspiring organisation, who I hope to continue to work with in the future.

Tasmanian Fashion Festival

2024

The event theme this year was “Awakenings”. I created a new campaign about What is a Fashion Circular Economy. I spoke on a panel to answer that question. I had two interactive workshops and an exhibition all about the same topic and the workshops were about Repair and Reuse. Workshop 1 was to learn some basic sewing skills by sewing on buttons onto a community project. Workshop 2 was reusing the fabric from unwanted men’s business shirts, bought at an Op shop, that were professional cleaned to hand make some circular pin cushions. Local Hobart Designer, Sue Hall from Shall Design exhibited two mannequins  wearing some vintage tablecloths she had created a beautiful wedding dress and another outfit.

Seamless Australia

2024

It’s an honour to be a Supporter of Seamless Australia and work together to create a Circular Economy in Australia. This journey started a few years ago for me, when the Australian Government provided the funds for the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) to create a Product Stewardship Scheme and research why Australia was dealing with so much clothing and textile waste and create a plan for our future.

During my Board role with the Association of Image Consulting International in Australia, I attended all the public meetings to understand the issues and decisions. In July 2024 Seamless Australia launched and is now the organisation to move the Australian Fashion Industry to a Circular Economy. As I continue to educate Consumers to understand and transition their own personal habits and wardrobes to being more sustainable, it’s will be a pleasure to work with Seamless Australia for a common goal.

Swinburne University & City of Boroondara
Circular Economy Workshop

2024

I was delighted to participate in the first group workshop conducted with local, passionate sustainability Leaders, to work through many issues we face and workshop the ideas for the future to become a Circular Economy. Every industry faces challenges and the City of Boroondara and the Swinburne University have the vision to bring experts in their field together. The day was very productive to create data and information for further research and assist planning for the first stage of becoming more sustainable and create the necessary infrastructure to become a Circular Economy and understand what’s important to the Leaders driving change also.

Global Fashion Summit

2024

This was an extraordinary experience to be accepted to attend the 15th Global Fashion Summit, presented by Global Fashion Agenda, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Attended by the Patron, Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark for The Next Level talks regarding  many aspects of the Fashion Industry and the Global Crisis.

Attended by Industry Leaders to talk about Government Legislation in the European Union and U.S. The mounting waste crisis, the environmental impacts, over production & consumption issues, sustainable fashion processes, fabric innovation and recycling technology. 130 speakers were moderated by the world’s most prominent Fashion Journalist. Also attending were major Brands from Luxury to Fast Fashion and the second hand market, Representatives from Government, Designers, Manufactures, Supply Chains, Fair Work and Farmers. This helped me gain great connections, global perspective, deeper understanding and knowledge to further communicate the why, how and what next to my audiences.

PAYPAL Melbourne Fashion Festival and City of Boroondara Independent Program

2024

Eco chic sustainable Wardrobe Workshop, Co presenter Rachel Wood from Wunder Weave who talked about the importance of fixing our clothes, repurposing unwanted clothing and leaning some basic sewing skills. My talk was about sustainable wardrobes fabric education, fast changing fashion industry and why Australia is moving to a circular economy, what does it all mean, wardrobe planning and colour analysis.

It was a great venue and the team at City of Boroondara were great organisers to make this happen and create a great day. There was alot of engagement after the event, as people felt the learnings were so helpful, they wanted to talk more.

AICI Malaysia Chapter, Education Day Speaker on Sustainable Fashion

2023

Being interviewed about your expertise is so much fun, knowing you are helping a wider audience. It was a pleasure to work with Anushya Safira who is a Board member of the Malaysia Chapter and the Co-Chair of the AICI Global Sustainability Committee, who is also passionate about educating and making change to her culture and community.

City of Boroondara – Threads Exchange – Boroondara Clothes Swap

2023

It was a really enjoyable experience working with Katrina Naish from A Fitting Connection joining forces with Council for a clothing swap morning. While the collection and set up of a clothing exchange was being organised, I kept the crowd entertained for a 1 hour workshop on how to make better choices and create a more versatile sustainable wardrobe. The Hawthorn Arts Centre is a really beautiful space to work in and so lucky to have such great organisers around me to make this happen.

I was so thrilled to have a queue of attendees wanting to talk to me individually after my talk with so many interested in the colour talk and wanted guidance.

City of Boroondara – Panel Discussion

2023

A City of Boroondara collaboration with A Fitted Connection and Upcycle 4 Better about the Virtues of Slow Fashion. Held at the Hawthorn Art Centre with another guest speaker from a Preloved Clothing boutique. We could have talked all night about fashion waste, fast fashion, slow fashion, recycling, repurpose, buying and selling preloved clothing, qualities of clothing fabrics, tips on creating better systems in your wardrobe, laundering, alterations, renting, buying what you need, versatile pieces for your wardrobes over flowing, mix and matching our clothes, colour co-ordination, why we buy the same things, impulse buying, better planning and what to look for , what to do with our clothing waste clothes that won’t ever break down, over production, recycled polyester not helping our environment and we ran out of time.

Tasmanian Fashion Festival – Look for Wool Campaign

2023

I was invited to produce a sustainability campaign for the Festival’s runway show and create an exhibition. As the event was a Farm to Fashion theme, I created an awareness campaign about merino wool, highlighting it’s positive carbon impact on the environment and planet., helping people to understand the impact of fabrics on fashion waste. The campaign was called Look for Wool and is an ongoing awareness and education program. It was such an enjoyable event with so many locals already very aware and conscious about sustainability.

AICI Global Sustainability Committee

2023

After receiving the AICI Global Philanthropy Award, I was invited by the Chair to join the Committee to help educate the members and create the framework to educate Fashion and Image Consultants worldwide.

I enjoy connecting with many other cultures and find it really interesting to hear what other countries are doing about sustainable fashion initiatives around the world.

AICI Global Philanthropy Award

2023

I was honoured to be recognised and receive this prestigious Award for my work on the Australia Chapter Board for 2 years, helping the members of the community to remain supported, educated and engaged over the pandenmic. Sustainable Fashion education, newsletters, online event organisation, magazine content, interview series, and general communications to our members was hard work but enjoyable working with other like minded fashion professionals and connecting with so many others during a difficult time.

AICI Global Magazine Article 

2023

I was asked by another business owner to write an article for her newsletter subscription about Fashion and it was so well received, the article called Fashion and the Impact on the Planet, was published in the AICI Global Magazine in the Sustainability Issue. Writing about your expertise is a great way to share your knowledge and help spread the important information.

Interview Series

2021 – 2022

Interviewing people can be so much fun and educational. It’s an informal setting and no one has to rehearse, so as it’s a very relaxed way to find out answers, it usually uncovers much more than first intended. I create a rough script before the interview so there are no surprises. A time frame is always given and that’s what helps plan the questions. I have worked around the clock to interview in different time zones. Never easy doing an interview at midnight, but it’s always an enjoyable experience. 

I created a 5 part interview series, to help educate the members and email subscribers of the Association of Image Consulting International (AICI).

Samia Laboudi from our AICI New York Office who had presented a webinar to our Global community about thinking Consciously about Fashion. Two AICI Conference Presenters, Ann Vodicka and Emma McDermott about Can Online Shopping be Sustainable. Dr Susy Bello Knoll, from our AICI Argentina Office, and Chair of the AICI Global Sustainability Committee about forming a 28 member committee to help educate Image Consultants around the world about sustainable fashion practices. Jo Puplett, an AICI member in South Australia who ran Op Shop Tours, Lalita Lowe, from Hobart, a Fashion Designer and Author of It’s Time to Rethink Your Fashion.

“Very hard to follow after such a great presentation by Sue”

– Workshop Presenter

You were so engaging, everyone had fun

– Council Staff

“You covered so much, I wish there was more time “

– Workshop Atendee

Work with Sue Maree

From collaborative awareness campaigns and educational events to keynotes, workshops panel discussions, training sessions and interviews, Sue can deliver insightful, practical, and engaging presentations to meet your audience, goals, and budget.