Samata Pattinson is a British-Ghanaian sustainability advocate,[1] writer, producer and entrepreneur working in design and entertainment industries.[2] Samata has contributed on sustainability to The Guardian, EuroNews, Vogue and Huffington Post and others.[3][4][5] She delivered TEDxTalk in 2023, has been recognised by various magazines, podcasts, TV and radio programmes, and has spoken at United Nations HQ, and the 2021 and 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference.[6]

Samata Pattinson
Samata in 2023
Born
Cambridge, England
Alma materQueen Mary University of London
Occupation(s)Sustainability advocate, writer, producer and entrepreneur
Websitewww.samatahome.com

Early life and education

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Born in Cambridge, England, Samata is the middle daughter of Ghanaian parents and has two sisters.[7] Her paternal grandfather was a royal of Ghana's oldest Kingdom, Yoo Naa III of the Kingdom of Dagbon.[citation needed] She attended Catholic Primary schools before attending Perse School For Girls from Secondary. Samata studied a master's degree in economics, finance and management at Queen Mary University of London.[8]

Fashion career

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Samata is a designer who began her career in London. Samata has been invited to 10 Downing Street by two British Prime Ministers for her work in the field of sustainability.[9][10] She was announced as the student designer winner of Red Carpet Green Dress contest, an international sustainable design initiative on the Oscars' red carpet in 2011.[11][12]

Samata previously worked for Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD) organisation,[4] which delivered sustainable fashion on the red carpet at the Oscars each year. She joined RCGD in 2011 as a contest winner and then went on to become its global CEO.[7][13]

In 2023, Samata wrote the first sustainable fashion guide for the 95th Academy Awards (known as the Oscars).[14] She is also known for her Bloomsbury's 'Fashion Designer's Resource Book', and for her work as producer and presenter of short environmental video 'Designing Change'.[15][16]

In 2022, Pattinson featured in the Billie Eilish documentary on climate change alongside Eilish, Maggie Baird, Finneas O'Connell, Vivienne Westwood, Vanessa Nakate and Yungblud,[1] and associate produced Andrew Morgan's Texas in 2023.[17]

Fashion journalism and broadcasting

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Samata was Fashion Editor of The Talent Magazine presented at the Channel 4 Magazine launch and styled actor Nicholas Hoult for the first cover issue.[18] Samata's journalism work notably covers the subject of sustainable fashion and fashion enterprise.[citation needed] Her London Fashion Week coverage for The Guardian coined the phrase 'Eco-Ghosting'.[19][20] In 2016 Samata narrated, co-directed and co-produced a short documentary about sustainable fashion entitled Designing Change. She has appeared on ITV News at Ten, ITV News at Six, and others.[21][22] In 2023, she moderated and presented at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.[23]

Published work

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Bloomsbury Publishing published Samata's book the Fashion Designer's Resource Book in February 2013.[18] Samata writes poetry and fiction, and was invited to perform spoken word at the Tate Modern.[citation needed] Samata is the author of popular women's empowerment book, THE TRIBE™ Empowerment Journal, her collective THE TRIBE counted musician Shingai Shoniwa and journalists Shaunagh Connaire and Charlene White as members.[24][25][26]

Public speaking

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Samata has lectured and spoken at conferences and fashion colleges such as Yale School of the Environment, SXSW Eco, Central St Martins, London College of Fashion, Berkeley, Ravensbourne and Fashion Institute of Technology.[27][10] Her views on sustainability have been featured in publications such as Reuters, Business Insider, Business Of Fashion, Harper's Bazaar, Wonderland China, Yahoo Finance and WWD.[28][29][30] In 2020, Samata was selected by Cambridge University to champion their new series for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership entitled 'Future we Want initiative', in addition to sharing insight for the inaugural IPBES, Global Biodiversity Podcast - Nature Insight.[10] Samata is a proponent of intersectional environmentalism,[31] and is vocal about the importance of representation within the fashion industry for BIPOC groups and black creatives, and "celebrating coverage equally from global platforms, from Vogue Poland to Wonderland China".[32][33][34][35]

The Oscars & Sustainable Design

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In 2023 Samata wrote the first official sustainable style guide for the Annual Academy Awards.[14] Through Red Carpet Green Dress, her work with the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton and Christian Siriano has frequented the red carpet at the Annual Academy Awards since 2012. She has made appearances at the Environmental Media Awards.[36] In 2021, she was named as one of the Top 100 Women in their 'Green Women Power List 100' by LOHAS Magazine for her work leading sustainable change, alongside Jane Goodall, Susan Rockefeller, Marina Abramović, Lil Miquela, Clare Farrell of Extinction Rebellion and Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu of UNFCCC.[37][38][39]

Philanthropy

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In 2023, Samata was announced as an ambassador for The Act on Fashion Coalition alongside ambassadors like Sophia Kianni, Sophia Li, Aditi Mayer, Maya Penn and Marina Testino.[40]

In 2006, Samata contributed to a youth charity single for a music project entitled Enfants Soldats to raise awareness about child soldiers.[18] In December 2007, Samata organised a young persons' fashion show as part of a fundraising concert in Freetown, Sierra Leone for a public sanitation project, with SWAY, Dawn Richards, and WFP initiative CatWALK the World.[41][42]

Associated organisations and honours

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Samata was invited by High Commissioner Kwaku Danso-Boafo to attend the Screen Nation 'Sons and Daughters of Ghana' at the Ghanaian High Commission.[citation needed] Samata judged the Top Model of Colour student finale in The Gambia, meeting President of The Gambia, Yahya AJJ Jammeh.[30][13]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (3 May 2022). "Billie Eilish and Finneas to Kick-Off London 'Overheated' Climate Event". Billboard. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Samata Pattinson". Bloomsbury Publishing (US). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  3. ^ Pattinson, Samata (7 October 2014). "Changing relationship with clothes: granny chic to cutting edge technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Angel Accolades". British Vogue. 9 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Samata | HuffPost". www.huffpost.com.
  6. ^ "TEDxFargo". TED. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b "From The Desk Of... Samata Pattinson, of Red Carpet Green Dress". Citizen Femme. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  8. ^ "SPG Alumni newsletter 2012" (PDF). Stephen Perse Foundation. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  9. ^ "60 seconds with...Samata Angel". FashionUnited. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Samata Pattinson | CreativeMornings/Fargo". CreativeMornings. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Winning Designs". British Vogue. 25 February 2019. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  12. ^ FashionUnited (24 November 2008). "Samata Angel young entrepreneur award win". fashionunited.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  13. ^ a b Feitelberg, Rosemary (24 September 2020). "Red Carpet Green Dress' Samata Pattinson Explains How Small Tweaks Can Make a Huge Difference". WWD. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b Colville, Charlie (13 March 2023). "RCGD Global's Samata Pattinson On Creating The 2023 Oscars' Sustainable Style Guide". Country and Town House. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  15. ^ Bloomsbury.com. "Fashion Designer's Resource Book". Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  16. ^ Designing Change (2016) - IMDb, retrieved 20 January 2021
  17. ^ "Samata Pattinson, Andrew Morgan and Zach Morgan attend the NYC..." Getty Images. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  18. ^ a b c "Samata". Voix Meets Mode. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  19. ^ "New magazine for emerging talent in fashion, film, photography and presenting - Ethnic Now". Ethnic Now. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  20. ^ "A taste of new talent". The Guardian. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Summer | The Talent Magazine - Nicholas Hoult Fan". nicholas-hoult.org. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  22. ^ "Brits Gossip and Fashion Friday, Gemma Cairney - BBC Radio 1Xtra". BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  23. ^ "Untangling The Confusing State Of Sustainable Fashion At The Global Fashion Summit". Nylon. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Fifteen Minutes with The Frontlash". The Frontlash. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  25. ^ "tommie magazine". tommie. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Samata Pattinson — GLOBAL FASHION AGENDA". Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Critical Climate Conversations: Positive actions: the way ahead". Aspen Institute UK. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  28. ^ Davis, Dominic-Madori. "DJ Steve Aoki and designer Samata Pattinson dig into the impact music has on the clothes we wear — and what it would take to make sustainable fashion the new 'It' look". Business Insider. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Black designers lead push for a more diverse fashion industry". longreads.trust.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  30. ^ a b Lue, Di Cecilia (15 October 2020). "Samata Pattinson è l'attivista impegnata per un cambiamento nella moda sostenibile". Harper's BAZAAR (in Italian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  31. ^ "ROUGH Talks Sustainable Fashion With Red Carpet Green Dress CEO Samata Pattinson". Rough Online. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  32. ^ "Leading the restoration of nature as we accelerate to a net negative emissions economy. — Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership". www.cisl.cam.ac.uk. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  33. ^ Development, PodBean. "Samata, Marie-Claire Daveu: Bending the Curve with Business". natureinsight.podbean.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Page 59". WOTC - Women of the City. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Samata Pattinson: Moda dotyczy nas wszystkich". Vogue Polska (in Polish). 26 September 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Samata Pattinson at the 26th Annual Environmental Media Awards at Warner Brothers Studio on October 22, 2016 in Burbank, CA". Vecteezy. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  37. ^ Marsh, Natasha (11 November 2020). "3 Celebrity Stylists Tell Us What It Takes to Be Successful This Year and Beyond". POPSUGAR Fashion UK. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  38. ^ "2016 EMA Awards: Green Carpet Interviews - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  39. ^ "What Does it Take to Create a Sustainable Gown for the Oscars?". The Frontlash. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Samata Pattinson joins The Act on Fashion Coalition alongside powerful Ambassador Circle | SamataHome.com". Samata. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  41. ^ "Enfants soldats : un collectifsort un album". L'Obs (in French). 8 February 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  42. ^ "Piers Morgan and Arlene Phillips judge newsreaders' talent show". Metro. 25 September 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2021.