Natsai Audrey Chieza | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Known for | Biomaterials |
| Title | Founder, Faber Futures |
Natsai Audrey Chieza is a designer and the founder of Faber Futures, [1] a R&D studio that creates biologically inspired materials. She gave a 2017 TED talk on fashion's problem with pollution. She is Designer in Residence at Ginkgo Bioworks.
Chieza was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. [2] She moved to the United Kingdom when she was seventeen years old. [3] She studied Architecture at the University of Edinburgh. She then joined Central Saint Martins, where she completed a Master's in Materials Futures. [4] She worked with University College London's John Ward, a Professor of Synthetic Biology, and became interested in the sustainability of synthetic biology and stem cell research. [4] [5] [6] During this time she was Designer in Residence at the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London. [7]
Chieza joined the Textile Futures Research Centre. [8] She identified that streptomyces could be used as a fabric dye. [8] Streptomyces produce actinorhodin, which changes colour depending on the acidity of its environment. [9] In Project Coelicolor, these bacteria were used to dye silk scarves. [10] [11] She has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Gallery, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Harvard Art Museums and Audax Textile Museum. [8] [12] She was a resident designer at IDEO. [13] She has taught at Central Saint Martins and The Bartlett. [14]
Chieza was concerned about pollution in the fashion industry. [15] Chieza founded Faber Futures, a biomaterial research and development studio in London. [16] [17] [18] She was chosen to give a TED talk in Tanzania on fashion's problem with pollution. She has done two TED talks from then to now. [19] [20] [21] In February 2018 she was named as one of OkayAfrica's Top 100 Women. [22] In 2018 she launched the Ginkgo Bioworks Creative Residency in Boston. [23] She was a participant at the 2018 Sci Foo camp.