It’s no secret that the global fashion industry and its waste is a monumental issue. With roughly 10% of global carbon emissions attributed to fashion and 92 million tonnes of garments ending up in landfills every year, the fashion industry as we know it today is dirty, unnecessary, and detrimental to all life forms.
One particular source of wasteful fashion consumption is dresses. Whether it be a wedding or prom, dresses for special occasions are typically worn once or a handful of times before collecting dust in the closet until being tossed.
Standing up to the waste and showcasing a more eco-friendly dress option is Anna Sueangam-iam, a Thai actress with 497K followers on Instagram. For Miss Universe Thailand 2022, Anna stunned with her “Hidden Precious Diamond Dress” made from upcycled pop-can tabs.
Designed by the Thai fashion brand MANIRAT, the Hidden Precious Diamond Dress was inspired by Anna’s garbage collector father and street-sweeper mother.
“This gown was inspired by the familiar surroundings of my childhood. Growing up with garbage collector parents, my life as a child was among piles of garbage and recyclables,” says Anna. “This unique gown was purposefully tailored-made with discarded and recycled materials, namely the ‘Can Tab’ to present to the UNIVERSE that what’s considered worthless by many actually possesses its own value and beauty.”
Thanks to her beauty, upcycled dress, and inspiring story, Anna was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2022 at the 71st Miss Universe competition.
All images in this article are courtesy of Anna Sueangam-iam.
