Samata Pattinson - CEO of Red Carpet Green Dress

This week, the TTI Interview Series covers the 2022 TTI Global Impact Awards, Diversity & Inclusion Judge: Samata Pattinson. Samata is the CEO of sustainable Oscars® design campaign Red Carpet Green Dress Global. Through Red Carpet Green Dress, Samata's design, educational and thought-leadership work with pioneers such as Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton and TESLA has frequented the red carpet at the Annual Academy Awards since 2012. The published author of THE TRIBE™ Empowerment Journal, The Fashion Designer’s Resource Book. She also regularly writes for publications such as The Guardian, VOGUE and Huffington Post.

In this interview, Samata highlights the importance of shifting public ideas and perspectives on the fashion industry towards a vision that is sustainable and fair. She mentions how slow fashion is not only better for the health of the planet but also the health of people. The slow fashion revolution, as well as upscaling the circular economy, plays a pivotal role in tackling the global climate change crisis.

Committed to positive change

Your story in 50 seconds. Samata could you please describe what you do and the mission you are on in one paragraph?

I am a British born Ghanaian sustainable entrepreneur working across fashion, media and entertainment. Within the fields I operate in and influence, I have committed myself to creating a positive change. I am currently the CEO of RCGD Global, an organisation founded by Suzy Amis Cameron, to showcase sustainable fashion at the Oscars every year. RCGD has been dedicated to innovation and diversity through brands and talents. I am also the founder of THE TRIBE which is an empowerment journal that brings together women around the world to inspire, encourage and support each other. I have a new found passion with Web3 too which I am excited to delve into and find new ways to see equitable wealth distribution and representation in an exciting new realm.

Shifting mindsets and perspectives

One thing you know today about driving change in sustainable fashion that you wish you knew when you started?

That the hardest thing takes a moment - the ability to shift mindset and help other people see things through a different perspective. Change and improvement is very much possible but we have to be able to shift mindsets first to bring those about. The reality is that I have learnt how to be patient and persistent in the conversations I have with people to shift the way that they view sustainability and their role in the dialogue. I know we don’t have to give up because we have been witnessing change and these improvements are our fuel that keep us going. Opinions and mindset are shifting.

Advancing circularity

What do you think is slowing down the sustainable fashion revolution? 

The very outdated business models. It’s very hard to eradicate something that has been the same for so many years and has somewhat worked for the brands and companies in general. We are archaic in the way that we are moving away from a linear, take-make-waste model to one that seems every process as needing to be as circular and regenerative as possible - for people and communities. That goes for both sustainability and the efforts in portraying a more socially and culturally diverse industry too. We don’t have enough variety of voices and henceforth, we are often not making the headway that we could be. 

Healthy fashion

Top 2 facts you wish people knew about sustainable fashion VS fast fashion? 

Slow fashion is not only better for the health of the planet but also the health of people. On the environmental side, the carbon and water emissions are dramatically lower, the waste is reduced, the clothing is better made. But sustainability is not only about materials, but also social practices, and people, it’s about workers who produce ethically are also treated and paid fairly and it’s about you and I and what we are putting on our bodies…it’s making clothes which are even kind to the wearer - non-toxic, healthy fashion! 

Investing with impact

At Top Tier Impact, we are a global ecosystem of impact and sustainability leaders. Some are entrepreneurs, some investors and others are experts. What would you say to TTI members who are investors in the circular economy as a call to action? 

Investing in the circular economy plays a pivotal role in tackling the global climate change crisis. Being a new model, I appreciate the risks and challenges, but ultimately profitability has been already demonstrated. Most importantly, the focus should really be on the great changes and improvements that investing more and more in the circular economy will tangibly bring to the planet. Also, one thing that we need to remember is the circular economy is not meant to be justification for excess production...we are supposed to be reducing what we produce alongside producing more responsible. It’s both, not either or. 

Support Samata

How can our global members follow you? 

I can be found on Instagram at @iam_samata and also on my personal website, as well as at @the__tribe and on the website.

Our RCGD Global work can be followed on @redcarpetgreendress and @rcgdisglobal, and on the website.