NYFW Designer Shares Tips for an Eco-Friendly Fashion Launch
From Trash To Treasure: Julionne Long Redefines Couture At NYFW—Here’s How You Can Too [Exclusive]
Source: Julionne Long / other
Designer Julionne Long isn’t walking only in silk or sequins—she’s hitting the New York Fashion Week runway with newspapers, bottle caps, and even a 10-pound skirt made from spoons. For the Fayetteville, North Carolina native, sustainability isn’t a trend; it’s the foundation of her eco-friendly fashion brand, Realizing Infinite Possibilities (R.I.P) Designs.
The 32-year-old creative is debuting her collection with a mission: to show that sustainability and high fashion can go hand in hand.
Long embraces innovation and elegance through garments and materials she finds at home—everything from newspapers to trash bags—ensuring every creation is one-of-a-kind.
“It’s cool to show everyone that everyday items that you can throw out into the trash, [are] not always trash… Like trash can be beautiful as well,” Long told MadameNoire.
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Source: Julionne Long / other
As a self-proclaimed high fashion designer for 12 years, Long encourages people to push boundaries and lean into creativity when launching their own lines.
“Push the boundaries with fabrics,” Long said. “If you’re on a budget just look around your house you don’t have to go to the store.”
She insists it’s simpler than most imagine: stop overthinking, look around, and see the beauty in what others toss out.
“The first piece I ever made was actually a newspaper tutu skirt,” Long said. “I got a really big response from that, so from there I just started doing more [looks] with different items.”
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Source: Julionne Long / other
Now, she’s sharing the essential steps to building a sustainable fashion brand while letting creativity shine.
Things You Should Do When Launching an Eco-Friendly Fashion Brand:
1. Enroll in YouTube University
Whenever Long was stumped—whether on sewing techniques or design finishing—she turned to what she calls “YouTube University.”
“I had so much trial and error when I first started out because I was just trying to figure things out by myself,” she said. Instead of investing in costly courses, Long realized that everything she needed was online. “YouTube is your friend… find everything that you need to get where you need to go.”
Source: Julionne Long / other
2. You Don’t Need to Spend Money on Materials
Long is proof that fashion doesn’t require fancy fabrics. Many of her garments come from her home, family, or community donations. She encourages aspiring designers to avoid overcomplicating sustainability. “A lot of times when designers talk about being eco-friendly they kind of overthink and it’s not that complicated.”
3. Your Community Is Everything
Long credits her community as the backbone of her success. “Community is huge,” she said. “I’ve had so many people donate to help me get to where I am… you can’t get where you need to go by yourself.”
She shared how her late husband, mother, assistants, and models all played vital roles in helping her move forward.
Long revealed her husband, who passed away unexpectedly this past April, motivated her to pursue NYFW. “He’s the one who pushed me to do NYFW. Even though it’s been a dream of mine for 11 years, when I first got the call, I wasn’t going to do it, so I didn’t think I was ready. He’s the one who pushed me to do it. He’s the one who helped me pick out my models, my fabrics and name [of her collection] Rogue Elegance.”
Source: Julionne Long / other
4. Decide What Makes Your Brand Different
Beyond her sustainability focus, Long found ways to make her brand stand out—from inclusive sizing to pockets in women’s wear, a detail she notes is often missing. “Us girls need pockets too,” she said. “I think that’s a cool niche to have.”
She also emphasizes branding, recalling how she improvised in her early days. “It’s the little details in how you do things that people look out for. I didn’t have clothing labels for my brand when I first started out, so I was writing on the back in a Barber pencil.”
This September 11, Long’s creations will grace the NYFW runway for the very first time. Her collection, Rogue Elegance, fuses unconventional materials with timeless sophistication.
“One of my pieces that I’m doing [for NYFW] is bottle caps of beer bottles,” Long revealed. “I think it’s important for sustainability and keeping things out of landfills… showing the beauty [out] of everyday garbage.”
Source: Julionne Long / other
Other standout looks include three hand-stitched couture pieces and a 10-pound skirt crafted entirely from spoons.
“I’ve been waiting 11 years to do this,” Long confessed. “I’m definitely excited for it and think it will be a wow moment for the audience as well.”
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