Natasha Calandrino Van Kleef is Italian-Dutch. She graduated in architecture from the Polytechnic Universityof Milan, specializing in building technology and sustainable design.
From 1996-2001 Natasha worked for an Italian multi-national company, acquiring important field experience on large and prestigious building sites. In 2000 she founded Archimuse & Partners, an architectural firm dedicated to upgrades and restorations of historical buildings in Europe.
In 2010 she founded her own NVK Architecture & Design Studio, where she is the director and owner of various designs and patents, based on her own “slowdesign” manifesto that serves as a model for designing bespoke furnishings and products, some of which have received the “no green-house effect” trademark for the reduction of carbon emissions according to the Kyoto protocol.
Inspired by the need to contribute to a sustainable future, she created her own eco-chic fashion label – NVK Daydoll – based on her “slowfashion” principles – which has been regularly awarded and showcased at the Milan Design Week, the Berlin Ethical Fashion Show, and the London Ethical Fashion Forum. Natasha is also a technical consultant for the Milan Law Court, and a registered freelance journalist. Since 2010 she has tutored industrial design, communication and fashion at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy.