We recently sat down with the founder of Das Matia, Anca Stefania Iorgulrscu to find out more about her and what she stands for:

Introduce yourself?

I'm Anca Stefania Iorgulescu, creatix of DAS MATIA. I'm a health & wellness coach, passionate about rewriting the narrative that I've been telling myself about who I am and my potential in a way that is empowering, constructive, a way that helps me to lead a joyous, fulfilled life. I am passionate about self-awareness, personal responsibility, contribution. I passionately love people and human connections. I live for stories and nurture myself with love.

What are your favourite green lifestyle brands and how do you personally apply sustainability into your day-to-day routine?

I love Organics Basics. The best sustainable activewear I ever tried and now I'm not going back. Poeme Clothing creates these feminine dresses to die for. The comfiest bathing suit I have is from UBU swimwear. It makes me feel like a modern mermaid. Also, I fully support WUKA, sustainable period underwear. In terms of beauty products, I fell in love with awake organics. Melissa, the founder of Awake Organics, is amazing! Pangea Organics, another great brand that I highly recommend is Khus Khus, modern herbal beauty products using plants to support the body and mind in healing. I also adore Annmarie's tag line: honest. wild. beautiful. You can order some samples and try them for yourself. I love the neroli face toner. For the hair, I use organic argan oil from Farah Organics. If you're looking for some fancy and ethically-made jewellery, check out Purpose Jewelry and Kipato unbranded.

Tips for buying ethical fashion?

Don't buy unless you need to. Prioritize local shops and brand who lead with transparency and make an effort at all levels of production from the way the plants used as ingredients or used for the fabrics are harvested to the way employees are paid and how the products are packaged and delivered. Every little step can have a huge impact. At DAS MATIA we are collaborating with an organization that is overseeing how the organic cotton is produced in India where we import from and they make sure the women are working in proper conditions, have access to healthcare and have fair pay. You can use the app Good On You to see what brands deserve your attention and your investment. In the end, a piece of clothing is not just that. It is something that will leave a mark on your health. Through sweat, for example, the colours of the clothes you are wearing can enter your skin. Our armpits absorb 100% of what they enter in direct contact with. So, if the dress you are wearing has been dyed with chemicals, those chemicals enter your body in less than 9 seconds. Same goes for our genitalia. You don't want to wear clothes that are filled with pesticides and chemicals. In the end, for me, a choice is an act of self-love. Do I love myself enough and care about my health enough to invest in something durable that is not impacting my health or not.

Influencers, books and films that you recommend for people who are just starting to live more consciously?

Oh, way too many. My favourite book of all times is Women who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I love books and it's really difficult to pick a few, but anything from Danielle Laporte, Gabby Bernstein, Tony Robbins, Maya Angelou. Marie Kondo's The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up made a huge difference, too. Documentaries that changed the way I lead my life and empowered me to eat 90% of the time plant-based: Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, What the Health, The True Cost, Minimalism, Chasing Coral. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts. I'm super big now on Manifest this with Ashley Woods, Expanded with Lacy Phillips, Ancient Wisdom Today, The Model Health Show, Rich Roll, For the Life of me with Julie Piatt, Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel, Tantra Talks by Sofia Sundari, The Tim Ferriss Show, Under the Skin with Russell Brand and so many others.

Quotes you live by?

I have a personal belief system that has been created and is ever-evolving at the intersection of the different places I've been living in, the cultures and religions I've been exposed to, from Christianity to Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, the people whom I respect and look up to.

So, the quotes are as eclectic as my taste in music and movies.

• "So I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." - Jesus Christ
• "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." - Rumi
• "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." - Buddha
• "If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were." - Khalil Gibran 

You can watch Anca's inspiring videos on her youtube channel:

Stay in touch with Anca by following her on Instagram: @ancastefaniaiorgulescu