Hawa Patel is a sustainable and ethical fashion professional. Hawa has a Master of Arts degree from Rice University in Global Affairs with a concentration in international security. Hawa’s award-winning graduate thesis, Corporate Social Responsibility For A More Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Brand has been converted into a class for Seeds Platform. Researching fashion from a global view affords Hawa a broad perspective of the environmental and social risks the fashion industry poses to society and the planet. Currently, Hawa is Supervisor of Trade Compliance at Neiman Marcus Group where she divides her time on issues of trade and social compliance and responsible sourcing, ranging from animal welfare to counter-terrorism, the implementation of the human rights due diligence program and the roll out of the factory audit program. As Hawa refuses to stop talking about fashion, she has been invited to speak on panels on the topics of sustainability and human rights in fashion, including at SXSW 2023.
