When Fashion has a Message
Runa Ray is a Fashion Designer and Environmentalist who uses fashion as activism to advocate for policy change, educate on sustainability, and build global solidarity. With decades of experience spanning couture, ready-to-wear, retail, and manufacturing—including training at Dior and John Galliano after her Masters in Paris—Runa brings a rare blend of industry expertise and environmental vision to the forefront of regenerative innovation.
Her work is deeply aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Action, where she has regularly contributed as a speaker, advisor, and activist. As an innovator, her designs follow the reduce, reuse, recycle model, reviving ancient indigenous garment-making techniques while incorporating science-driven solutions such as renewable energy and algae-based textiles.
Runa specializes in circular design and zero-waste initiatives, guiding designers, SMEs, and communities worldwide in reducing their carbon footprint and creating sustainable livelihoods. She is the founder of Fashioning for Social Environmental Justice (FSEJ), a nonprofit that works across the Blue and Green Economies, and the creator of Kelptex, a venture that transforms invasive seaweed into biodegradable leather and paper alternatives—helping combat marine pollution and deforestation.
Her flagship initiative, the Global Peace Flag, is the world’s largest art movement using fashion waste for peace and sustainability. Endorsed by the United Nations, it connects 195 countries through canvases of commitment, saving over 3 billion liters of water while addressing climate action, conflict, and environmental equity. The flag has been exhibited at the UN Headquarters, the White House Grounds, Art Basel Miami, UNESCO Lisbon, the Patricia Frost Museum, the Monaco Yacht Club, and more.
Runa’s circular approach to fashion has earned her recognition in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Forbes, and her designs have appeared at the Met Gala and the Grammys. Her viral no-stitch mask during COVID reached millions, and her UN campaign educated over 100,000 students in India on repurposing t-shirts into shopping bags to reduce plastic waste.
As a columnist for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the World Bank’s Connect4Climate, and the Deccan Herald, Runa continues to shape global narratives on fashion and climate action. She also hosts Fashion Stories on iHeartRadio, spotlighting women changemakers from the Global South Asian community.
She is the author of Fashion for Social and Environmental Justice, a manifesto that merges creativity with activism to design a better world.
