Rafael Kouto, an independent fashion designer, teaches Design Methodology within the Fashion & Textile Design course at MADE Program.
Born in Switzerland to Togolese parents, Rafael is currently based in Zurich. He studied Fashion Design at HGK-FHNW in Basel and earned an MA in Fashion Matters from the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. His professional experience with renowned fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Maison Margiela, Carven, and the Ethical Fashion Initiative (United Nations International Trade Center, Geneva) has fostered a deep interest in sustainable production methodologies, with a particular focus on open-source systems, craftsmanship, and high-quality materials.
In 2019, he was awarded both the Diesel Award and the Lotto Sport Award at ITS-International Talents Support (Trieste, IT), and in 2018 and 2019, he won the Swiss Design Award. Rafael's work centers on recycling, upcycling, and sustainable fashion design and production. He regularly conducts workshops (Textilwerk Winterthur, Kunstmuseum Basel) and engages in mentoring (F+F Zürich) and teaching activities (Iuav Venice, Istituto Svizzero in Rome, HEAD Geneva, Doing Fashion Basel, HSLU Lucerne, ZHdK Zurich, Swiss Textiles, CSIA Lugano).
