Tingzhi Liu, known as TZ, is the Founder and CEO of WASTD, a Singapore-based circular design studio that explores how discarded materials can be transformed into new materials, products and applications. Through WASTD, she works with brands, designers, material specialists and fabricators to develop creative approaches to waste, challenging conventional perceptions of what materials can become. 

Prior to founding WASTD, Tingzhi spent more than 15 years in fashion design and product development across London and Asia. She has worked with international luxury fashion houses and brands, and was previously Vice President of Design at Love, Bonito, where she led design and product development. She began her career with a strong focus on fashion and materials, including graduating with First-Class Honours in Textile and Material Science for Fashion from Central Saint Martins, with her graduate collection showcased at London Fashion Week through Vogue. 

Her experience in fashion gave her first-hand insight into the scale of material waste generated throughout the industry and prompted her to explore new approaches to circularity and material innovation. At WASTD, she brings together her background in fashion, design and product development with material experimentation, working across waste streams including textiles, plastics and other discarded materials. 

Tingzhi is particularly interested in the intersection of material innovation, aesthetics and storytelling, and in how design can change perceptions of materials and their value. Her work advocates for greater experimentation in circular design and for creating practical pathways that allow new material solutions to move from experimentation and prototyping into real-world applications.