Carry Somers

Carry Somers is the author of The Nature of Fashion: A Botanical Story of Our Material World, a journey into the plants, fibres and dyes that have shaped human history. Drawing on natural history, archaeology, anthropology and her own travels, the book traces the remarkable stories behind cloth – from the plants that yield its fibres and colours to the people whose knowledge and ingenuity transform them into material culture.

Carry is best known as the co-founder of Fashion Revolution, the global fashion activism movement. She also founded Pachacuti, the world’s first Fair Trade certified company, and today directs League of Artisans, championing artisans and traditional skills. She holds an MA in Native American Studies and works as an expert consultant for the UN International Trade Centre, supporting Indigenous and artisan entrepreneurs.

Her research into natural fibres has led her to question what ‘natural’ really means, including through her work on fibres preserved in lake sediment, published with Stanton et al. in iScience (2026). She is a Churchill Fellow and recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Keele University.