Natalia Allen, a native New Yorker, fostered 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 clothes for multinational brands such as Saks, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. She has also advised 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, 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 FastCompany's 100 Most Creative, and one of Utne Reader’s 25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World. A Design Futures Council Senior Fellow and speaker on environmentally and socially responsible practices, she has presented at conferences in China, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and at Davos.
Driven by her mission to utilize technology to power positive impact, in 2014, Natalia spent several months in factories learning about advancements in automated manufacturing. She then launched a minimalist brand of goods made locally by robots that conserve energy and materials. Forbes, Oprah and Fox TV, to name a few, highlighted the achievement.
In 2018Natalia brought her entrepreneurial drive and years of experience to Eastman where she served as the Global Sustainability Leader for the Fibers and Textiles division. During her tenure she focused on the industrial circular economy and chemical recycling.
Natalia is currently traveling in Europe and continues to evolve professionally. She is working as an international consultant and building comprehensive multi-generational sustainability strategies for businesses that want purpose at the core of their value proposition.