A British-born Ghanaian entrepreneur working across design, fashion, music, entertainment, and education, Samata Pattinson is CEO of BLACK PEARL. She is passionate about cultural sustainability and connecting the dots between people, communities and the planet.
Pattinson’s design, educational, and commercial initiatives such as Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD) have driven sustainable fashion to the Oscars and seen her educating on the topic of sustainability on reputable platforms and academic institutions in around the world. Her impressive portfolio includes collaborations with notable figures such as Maggie Baird and Billie Eilish at the Annual Academy Awards (notably, Samata authored the Sustainable Style Guide for the 95th Annual Academy Awards).
Samata has actively contributed to educational programs at the Hollywood Climate Summit 2022 and holds producer credits in influential film projects like Andrew Morgan’s acclaimed ‘TEXAS.’ Additionally, she appeared in Billie Eilish’s ‘Overheated’ documentary on climate change alongside notable personalities such as Billie Eilish, Maggie Baird, Finneas O’Connell, Vivienne Westwood, Vanessa Nakate, and Yungblud.
Pattinson played a pivotal role in developing the Climate and Fashion focus at Billie Eilish’s London Overheated Festival and participated in the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) as part of the SHE Changes Climate initiative. Later, she delivered a keynote address during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt on Designing for Sustainability.
Samata holds advisory and mentorship roles at Cambridge University’s Institute of Sustainability Leadership. She has spoken at prestigious institutions like Yale School of the Environment, COP26, COP27, and SXSW Eco. Her expertise led her to be invited to Number 10 Downing Street to address two British Prime Ministers on sustainability, business, and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, in 2020, Cambridge University selected Samata to champion their ‘Future We Want initiative’ for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and she provided insights for the inaugural IPBES Global Biodiversity Podcast – Nature Insight.
In 2021, Samata earned recognition as one of the Top 100 Women in the ‘Green Women Power List 100′ by LOHAS Magazine for her impactful work in driving sustainable change. She shares this honor with distinguished individuals like Jane Goodall, Susan Rockefeller, Marina Abramović, Lil Miquela, Clare Farrell of Extinction Rebellion, and Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu of UNFCCC. Samata is an ambassador for The Fashion Act (The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act), a groundbreaking piece of legislation that holds companies accountable and levels the playing field for those already trying to do the right thing. Endorsed by Rosario Dawson, Jane Fonda, Leonardo DiCaprio and others, if passed, it will establish New York as the global leader in thoughtful accountability for the fashion industry.
She holds the distinction of being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and contributes to Rothys’ sustainability council, focusing on the correlation between biodiversity, climate, and apparel production. As a published author (THE TRIBE Empowerment Journal 2018, The Fashion Designer’s Resource Book – Bloomsbury Publishing 2013), Samata delivered her inaugural TED talk, hosted the Global Fashion Agenda | Copenhagen Fashion Summit, and is a judge for the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards (2022, 2023).