Natalia Allen

Natalia Allen, a native New Yorker, started designing and sewing as a teenager. Fostering her creativity through formal training and education at Parsons The New School, she graduated in 2004 as Designer of the Year, a title she shares with alumna Marc Jacobs.

In 2005, Natalia founded Design Futurist, an award winning design consultancy that has created innovative and sustainable textiles and clothing lines for multinational brands such as Saks, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. She also worked as an adviser to non-apparel brands such as P&G, Dupont, and British Telecom, helping them to extend sustainability and modern design principles to a range of products.

Called the “Conscientious Fashionista,” her designs, and her company have been covered by the BBC, NPR, and CNBC, and her work has been featured in periodicals including Women’s Wear Daily, Black Enterprise, New York Magazine and the Huffington Post.

For her ground-breaking work, Natalia has received numerous distinctions, including recognition as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative, and one of Utne Reader’s 25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World. A global advocate and speaker on environmentally and socially responsible design, she has presented at conferences in China, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and at Davos.

This year, Natalia has taken a hands-on approach with the debut of her eponymous line. She spent several months in factories learning about advancements in apparel manufacturing. With the freedom to choose how her garments are made she designed beautiful minimalist clothing made by robots that conserve energy and textiles.