Captain Planet

STEPHANIE DICKSONISN’T WAITING FOR THE WORLD TO CHANGE – SHE’S DOING IT NOW, FOR THE WORLD. THE FOUNDER OF GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK, ASIA’S FIRST CONSCIOUSFESTIVAL AND PLATFORM, WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY IS A JOURNEY.

As a child, she dreamt of working in fashion. “I fell in love with the glamour, the clothes, how fashion can help you represent your personality to the world,” the 30-year-old explains.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Stephanie ended up going to high school in Singapore because her family moved frequently, thanks to her dad’s job in agriculture. She returned to Australia for her degree studies, but her love for fashion never waned.

She attempted to sew, but her impatience soon made it clear that she wasn’t cut out to be a fashion designer.

After her family doctor (Dr Georgia Lee, before she became a physician with an interest in aesthetics) swung her an interview to work for Singapore Men’s Fashion Week in 2011, Stephanie found her dream job in running fashion events.

It was a The Devil Wears Prada kind of life where work entailed flying to Paris hand-carrying a couture wedding dress, and returning to Singapore on the same day. Her purpose then was to give designers a platform in Asia, and she loved every second of it.

Then, she discovered fashion’s dark side: the wastage, pollution and poor working conditions. She was so shaken by the knowledge that she left her job. And she didn’t just make a career switch. She overhauled her entire life.

Her mission now: to educate people that our planet is in distress, and encourage them to make small, achievable changes (“little green steps”) to live more sustainably. A day in the office involves organising the Singapore-based annual Green is the New Black (GITNB) eco-conscious festival – which congregates ethical brands and panel speakers – or working with companies to help them be more carbon-neutral.