27 July 2012 - Clothing designer Monica Habig, who has been working with numerous ecologically minded clothing companies for four years now, is excited to have a line of her own under way, that she calls Manalicious.

"The clothing I sell is all created by eco-conscious individuals. All items are made in small batches, are fair-trade and use organic cotton, hemp and soy materials." She said. "Over the last four years, I have expanded my business from one small clothing rack to working with multiple designers from around the globe."

Nonorganic cotton is one of the most widely grown and chemically-intensive crops in the world. According to World Health Organization, conventionally grown cotton uses approximately 25 percent of the worlds insecticides and more than 10 percent of the worlds pesticides.

By contrast, the hemp used in Habig's clothing has been used for this purpose for thousands of years due to its natural ability to grow without toxins, and without the need of pesticides.

According to Earth Pledge, a nonprofit organization committed to promoting and supporting sustainable development, it takes more than 8,000 chemicals, several of them petroleum-based, to turn raw materials into textiles.

"Today I feel blessed to be able to dress the world with clothing made from natural fibers," she said.