Interdisciplinary Designer 

Natália Fernandes is an entrepreneur and independent researcher working at the intersection of fashion, sustainability and social impact. Her journey in the textile world began early and led to the founding of a sustainable fashion company that became a national reference in Brazil. Her work has earned recognition from Forbes, Brasil Eco Fashion Week (the largest sustainable fashion event in Latin America) as well as major national and international publications such as Claudia and Marie Claire.

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At a very young age, with only 16 years old, she was recognized as an “Outstanding Person” by Pangbourne College in the United Kingdom, highlighting her early leadership and commitment to positive impact.

 

Throughout her career, she has collaborated with artisan cooperatives, worked exclusively with certified natural fabrics, and introduced natural dyeing into her production chain, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and speaking at roundtables and lectures at leading universities in Brazil.

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Natália's independent research focuses on textile communities in socioeconomically vulnerable contexts across Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Uruguay) and Asia (India and Indonesia), exploring how design can help safeguard intangible cultural heritage while fostering social and economic development. Her work centers on valuing ancestral knowledge often threatened by industrialization and lack of recognition, proposing new economic models that preserve traditional practices through innovation.

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By deepening design methodologies for social innovation, she is currently developing a nonprofit textile platform to help build more equitable futures and introduce new economic models for communities.