Isabelle Saxton is a Sustainability, Circularity, and Regeneration Strategist and Designer; Sustainability Chats With Friends Podcast Host; and Founder of Global Sustainable Network.

With a Master’s Degree in Sustainability from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Apparel Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, Isabelle’s interests are twofold: To help brands design more circular and regenerative products and organisations develop scientifically-grounded, measurable, and positively impactful business practices. 

Named by Vogue as one of six designers to watch from RISD, and recognised by the Dean for Academic Achievement at Harvard, Isabelle blends systems and design thinking with expertise in circular and regenerative economics, corporate sustainability, innovation, environmental policy, scientific research, and strategy development.

Known for her clear, relatable communication style, Isabelle translates complex scientific data into attainable sustainability, circularity, and regeneration actions with a keen focus on client needs, holistic planetary boundaries thinking, and creative problem-solving, typically within educational, fashion, textile, and land regeneration organisations. 

Her specialities include circular and regenerative systems and product design, supply chain and lifestyle assessments, reducing impact, and developing sustainability action plans. 

Isabelle also spends significant time on education, whether that’s through direct client work, hosting workshops and upskilling sessions, participating in industry panel discussions, or on her Sustainability Chats with Friends podcast. Isabelle uses education to cut through the noise, overwhelm, and misinformation surrounding sustainability to provide clarity, direction, and action; she creates space for people to ask questions openly, (un)learn, and get inspired together.

  • EDUCATION

    Harvard University Extension School | Cambridge, US | 2023 | Master of Liberal Arts, Sustainability | GPA 3.97

    • Concentrations: Corporate Sustainability and Innovation, Environmental Policy and International Development

    • Relevant Coursework: Applied Circular Economics, Sustainable Fashion, Regenerative Economics, Sustainability Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, Calculating, Managing, and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Life Cycle and Supply Chain Sustainability Assessment, Sustainable Product Design and the Innovation Ecosystem.

    • Awards: ALM Dean’s List Certificate for Academic Achievement.

    Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) | Providence, US | 2020

    Bachelor of Fine Arts, Apparel (Fashion) Design

    • Concentration: Nature-Culture, Sustainability, and Science

    CERTIFICATIONS

    Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) | Unlocking The ESRS For GRI Reporters | Credential ID 149311045 | Issued June 2025

    Harvard University Extension School | Four-course professional graduate-level certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation | Credential ID 2РM-4TYИ-TXN4 | Issued January 13, 2023

    Harvard University Extension School | Four-course professional graduate-level certificate in Environmental Policy and International Development | Credential ID PERT-SUFC-THNUI | Issued January 9, 2023

I have spoken at world-leading institutions as an expert in sustainability, circularity and regeneration for design, fashion, textiles, and business and individual action.

  • Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment + Harvard Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability | London, UK | June 2026 | 5 Hours.

    Moderated the panel ​on Scaling Nature-based Solutions + the Role of Carbon Removals with speakers, ​Jessica Smith (Head of Nature, UNEP Finance Initiative), Valerie Hickey (Global Director for Environment, World Bank), Julia Azevedo (Director, Capital Solutions, Climate Asset Management), and ​Mo Safdar (Associate Director, Carbon Origination, Climate Impact Partners) as a part of the Unlocking High-Impact Capital: Scaling Climate & Nature-based Solutions Summit for London Climate Action Week.

    Financial Times | London, UK | March 2026 | 2 Hours.

    Fashion Sustainability + Action Expert for the panel discussion, Rethinking Fashion: Ethics, Impact, and the Path Forward, alongside author Aja Barber.

    Munich Fabric Start | Munich, Germany | January 2026 | 1 Hour.

    Circularity Expert for the panel discussion, Textile Recycling Reality: What Is Actually Possible By 2026, to offer a systems, action, and design-based view.

    Harvard University | Remote | December 2025 | 2 Hours.

    Special Guest Speaker and Evaluator of final projects for the Circular Economics graduate course taught by Manuel Maqueda. I was brought in to share my feedback and industry insights as a Circular Economist and former student.

    Conscious Fashion Collective | Remote | December 2025 | 1 Hour.

    I created and led a strategic and action-oriented “how-to” workshop on building a sustainability report for brands. 

    The Textile Innovation Engine of North Carolina | Remote | February - March 2025.

    As an educator, I up-skilled four high school teachers on sustainability, circularity, and fashion design through presentations and guides created specifically to each teacher’s needs and knowledge gaps. The teachers could then go on to educate their peers, helping 300 teachers and 25,000 students over 5 years. 

    Harvard University | Remote | December 2024 | 2 Hours.

    Guest Critic for the Regenerative Economics graduate course. As a former student and regenerative business founder, I offered insights and feedback on final projects that sought to solve regenerative issues across industries.  

    Newlab New Climate Futures Start-Up Showcase | Brooklyn, US | September 2024 | Full Day.

    Pitched FutureYard in front of investors, industry leaders, and media teams, speaking to how education, gamification, technology, tools, and expert and Indigenous knowledge can empower people to regenerate their green spaces to increase biodiversity, carbon storage, and soil health.  

    Lafayette College | Remote | April 2022 | 1 hour.

    Guest Lecturer for the undergraduate Sustainable Finance course on the topic of taking a holistic view of sustainability and the fashion industry, with a particular focus on our own purchasing power. 

    Sustainable Fashion Week US | Remote | September 2020 - April 2021 | Multiple Half Days. 

    Sustainable Fashion Week US (Day 2 SFW x SFW Workshops) Speaker (2021). Created and pre-recorded an educational talk on greenwashing and the nuances of sustainability and answered audience questions during the screening (available on YouTube). 

    Sustainable Fashion Week US (FASH REV USA x SFW) Designer and Speaker (2020). Showcased my debut clothing collection, The Impossible Dream, on a virtual runway, presented a pre-recorded designer talk, and answered audience questions during the screening, all in partnership with Fashion Revolution US (available on YouTube at 06:40). 

    Rhode Island School of Design | Providence, US | 2018. As an Apparel Design Teaching Assistant, Ihelped Sophomore students understand how to sew, create patterns, and translate design ideas into garments.

    Fashion Revolution Student Ambassadorfor the Rhode Island School of Design | Providence, US | 2017-2020. As the point of contact for Fashion Revolution at RISD, I worked closely with Kathleen Grevers, the director of US Education and Global Programming for Fashion Revolution USA, to organise, host and coordinate events to educate the local community on sustainable and ethical clothing practices and develop campus activations to connect people with their clothing.

→ Book me for your next panel discussion, retreat, employee resource group, team bonding, or other visionary event.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

PLAYLISTS

Work Session — Play it from the beginning (no shuffle) to get into a productive workflow.

For Friends — Uplifting, groovy music to shuffle.

Episodes For Friends — Podcast episodes, other than my own, which I found profound.

HUMBLING HOBBIES

Surfing (badly)

Sitting meditation

Multi-day mountainous hikes

LANGUAGES

Native English

Fluent French

My Ventures

  • Global Sustainable Network

    The strategic sustainability studio that empowers and guides fashion, textile, and lifestyle businesses and influential individuals to adopt sustainability, circularity, and regenerative practices. With a focus on circular design advisory, regenerative business, and impact mapping, GSN turns sustainability overwhelm, noise, and misinformation into clarity, credibility, and action.

    Discover

  • Sustainability Chats With Friends

    A kind and casual podcast with the aim to learn, unlearn, and explore sustainability adjacent topics through chats driven by the curiosities of (new and old) friends, across industries and backgrounds; from founders and innovators to activists and those simply curious about the space. The aim is to spark your curiosity and inspire continued research into topics and innovations that excite you.

    discover

  • FutureYard

    An app design transforming our connection to the Earth through easy soil health and yard regeneration plans. Beyond a digital service, this hyper-local, global network aims to simplify earth regeneration plans for people with access to yards and private green spaces to empower and guide increasing native biodiversity, soil health, water conservation, and carbon storage.​​​​​​​

    With a pin in it, currently, if you’re interested in building this design into a service-based product, please email me your CV and a letter of motivation.

    discover

  • I + S= $

    The archive of my clothing designs and creative direction that stands out for sustainability while educating the viewer and raising awareness around fashion’s sustainability issues. Clothing selectively available for rent.

    Explore

Partners

  • DIRT Charity

    TRUSTEE

    There are so few organisations working at the intersection of fashion and regeneration, so it is a joy and a privilege to get to support and protect DIRT’s exceptionally awesome mission of turning fashion into a climate solution through biodynamic practices.

    You can support DIRT’s mission here.

    If you are a fashion or textiles brand or supplier, there are ten new DIRT x Demeter biodynamic certification standards under development, covering dyestuffs, cotton, wool, silk, cellulosic fibres, linen, hemp, cashmere, leather, mushroom leather, and feathers, so if you would like to adopt the certification standards, become a brand champion or a donor, please reach out and learn more here.

  • PLNTmatter

    AFFILIATE

    PLNTmatter's proprietary lyocell, CleanBamboo®, is made from organically grown bamboo and has lower water, carbon dioxide equivalent, eutrophication, and fossil fuel impact compared to Tencel, viscose, conventional cotton, silk, cashmere, and flax linen. It also comes in many different forms, from the traditional silk-feeling lyocell to cashmere and even a natural rubber elastic. PLNTmatter is also women-owned and run.

    Email me if you would like to work with PLNTmatter materials.

  • Positive Luxury Impact Network

    MEMBER


    The Positive Luxury Impact Network is a collective of organisations and individuals driving ESG change from different angles across luxury brands in the beauty, fashion, jewellery, interiors, premium drinks, and travel industries.

    I started Global Sustainable Network primarily to help luxury and cult fashion brands and low-impact textile start-ups, so it's an honour to now be a member of the Positive Luxury Impact Network.

  • Conscious Fashion Collective

    MEMBER

    Conscious Fashion Collective is a global community and resource hub for professionals and founders driving sustainability change in the fashion industry. I’ve had the pleasure of being interviewed by CFC and hosting a workshop for CFC.

    Discover my freelancer and consultancy profiles.

  • Inbluem

    AFFILIATE

    After careful deliberation, I have partnered with a select number of organisations that are changing the industry in which they operate. Inbluem is one: Working with Indigenous Australian communities to harvest regeneratively grown ingredients, other organic ingredients, using glass packaging, carbon-neutral shipping, avoiding filler ingredients, and having a maximum of 10 ingredients.

    Use code ISSYEARTH for 10% off your next order.

Are we vibing?

Get in touch.

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