“From Discarded Seatbelts to Stunning Coats” – ICIS 2025 Set to Launch a Runway Highlighting Natural Fibers and Sustainable Fashion Innovation on July 5 at KKU

3 July 2025
14:05

The countdown has begun for the ISAN Creativity and Innovation Summit 2025 (ICIS 2025), one of the largest creative and innovation showcases in Northeastern Thailand. More than just a hub of academic innovation, entrepreneurial exhibitions, and research-driven activities, this year’s event brings a major highlight: a fashion show under the theme “Fashion Design of Innovative Sustainability,” where design meets sustainability in its most stylish form.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanatda Chullasthian, Assistant Dean for Academic Services and Cultural Affairs at the Faculty of Architecture, Khon Kaen University, explained that the central theme of the event — eco-conscious products and materials — will be reflected through the fashion show’s commitment to rethinking design, from ideation and development to sustainable production. The show embodies ICIS 2025’s mission: “Creativity and innovation are the keys to a sustainable future.”

The Faculty of Architecture, in collaboration with Industrial Promotion Center Region 5, Department of Industrial Promotion, brings together designs by fashion and textile students, alumni, and entrepreneurs to the runway. Each outfit tells a unique story and exemplifies mindful fashion. Highlights include fabrics woven from leftover vinyl, a collaborative effort between local entrepreneurs and KKU’s Faculty of Architecture, and graduate student research repurposing discarded seatbelt material into shimmering, durable textiles — now transformed into statement fashion pieces making their runway debut at this show.

The showcase also features natural fiber creations, including banana fiber fabric, naturally dyed cotton, hand-painted and hand-embroidered fabrics using botanical pigments, all presenting a wide range of textures and artistic expression.

A particularly notable inclusion is the award-winning collection “The Silhouette of Isan” by a talented KKU alumnus. The designs draw inspiration from local wisdom and reinterpret it through creative textile work. Select pieces from the collection will return to the runway, allowing audiences to experience the spirit of Isan heritage through fashion that speaks from the designer’s heart.

All of this underscores the message that sustainable fashion is more than a concept — it is a real, achievable practice. Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanatda added,

“The clothes we wear every day carry stories — not only of the designers and producers who must consider materials, processes, and environmental impacts, but also of the consumers, who can choose versatile, long-lasting outfits or extend garment life by passing them on.”

“In an age when fashion waste is an escalating issue, ICIS 2025 believes that sustainable design and creativity is the answer. This fashion show sends a clear signal that we all have a choice — whether as producers or as consumers — to be part of the solution.”

Join this powerful expression of creativity on the runway, exchange inspiration, and explore how ideas can transform into innovations that change the world — sustainably — at the ISAN Creativity and Innovation Summit 2025 (ICIS 2025) on July 5–6, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Science Park Building, Khon Kaen University.