HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya showcases Thai textile craftsmanship on the global stage through “UNESCO x SACIT x ICONCRAFT: A Celebration of Thai Artisans and Creative Cities”

Bangkok, June 25, 2025 – With a steadfast commitment to preserving and elevating Thailand’s cultural heritage to the global stage, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya has been a pivotal force in promoting the value of Thai textiles and securing their international recognition.

Guided by her vision for Thai textiles to thrive elegantly in the modern world, Her Royal Highness has initiated numerous projects, including the Pha Thai Sai Hai Sanook campaign, which seeks to inspire younger generations to appreciate and embrace Thai fabrics as contemporary, everyday fashion, while also developing knowledge to create sustainable careers and income for weavers, artisans, and local communities and inspire innovative applications of traditional fabrics.

Her Royal Highness’s work in developing Thai textile patterns under her “Sustainable Fashion” initiative has gained international reach, with the United Nations in Thailand recognizing her role in promoting sustainability awareness. In her latest endeavor, Her Royal Highness has joined forces with UNESCO, the Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand (Public Organization) or SACIT, and Siam Piwat, the founder of ICONCRAFT on an initiative to preserve Thai craftsmanship and support artisans from the seven provinces in Thailand’s UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

This partnership has culminated in the special campaign, “UNESCO x SACIT x ICONCRAFT: A Celebration of Thai Artisans and Creative Cities.” This extraordinary campaign celebrates Thai artisans and elevates local wisdom from the seven Creative Cities, which are epicenters of cultural heritage and Thai craftsmanship, into contemporary works of art, with the SIRIVANNAVARI brand along with 14 of Thailand’s top designers and artisans developing innovative designs that will inspire the next generation.

A key highlight of this initiative is the gracious contribution from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, the Creative Director of the “SIRIVANNAVARI” brand, in the form of two silk clutch bags, exquisitely crafted by the SIRIVANNAVARI brand under Her Royal Highness’ vision, featuring meticulous embroidery by the skilled artisans of the SIRIVANNAVARI Atelier & Academy. The first clutch is adorned with a dazzling golden peacock, the symbol of the SIRIVANNAVARI brand, its fanned tail intricately embroidered into sheaves of rice, symbolizing abundance and prosperity, and embellished with glittering glass beads and crystals. The second clutch features embroidery that masterfully enhances the underlying woven pattern, adding depth and a stunning three-dimensional effect. One-of-a-kind masterpieces, both clutches are crafted from Kaew Ching Duang patterned silk, which symbolizes lasting prosperity, unity, and harmony, woven exclusively for this occasion by Ajarn Weeratham Taragoonngernthai, the grand master of Thai silk and founder of the “Chan Soma” brand in Surin. Each piece is specially designed to honor the spirit of Thai artisans and capture the magnificence of Thai craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. The two bespoke clutch bags have been put up for auction to raise funds for the UNESCO Youth Program, which supports education and creative capacity-building for youth in Thailand’s seven Creative Cities out of over 350 selected cities worldwide, namely Phuket, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Sukhothai, Phetchaburi, Chiang Rai, and Suphanburi.

Another highlight is an exhibition of eight traditional Thai ensembles from the royal wardrobe of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, on loan from the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, marking their debut showcase in Thailand. Designed and tailored by Tirapan Wannarat, owner of the TIRAPAN couture house and Thailand’s 2019 National Artist in Visual Arts (Fashion Design), each piece, including Thai Ruen Ton, Thai Chitralada, and Thai Amarin style, is worn for royal ceremonies and official occasions and imbued with historical significance.

Additionally, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between UNESCO, SACIT, and Siam Piwat, pledging to support cultural entrepreneurs, inspire a new generation of creative and cultural leaders in Thailand, and further build upon the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, with emphasis on sustainable youth education in the areas.

As part of the UNESCO x SACIT x ICONCRAFT: A Celebration of Thai Artisans and Creative Cities campaign, 14 leading Thai designers were brought to engage with local wisdom from Thailand’s seven Creative Cities. The designers were divided into two groups: seven heritage-preservers supported by SACIT and seven leading Thai designers invited by ICONCRAFT, to craft an exclusive collection. The participating designers were paired as follows: ATELIER PICHITA designing with Tai Lue woven fabric from the Kru Dok Kaew Tai Lue Weaving Group from Chiang Rai; THEATRE designing with Thai Song Dam fabric from the Ban Don Manow Thai Song Dam Weaving Group from Suphanburi; CHAI GOLD LABEL designing with Lanna-style batik from Rak Batik from Chiang Mai; HOOK’S BY PRAPAKAS designing with hand-painted batik from the Ying Batik Paint Group from Phuket; WISHARAWISH designing with Lai Yang fabric from Phusa Pha Lai Yang from Phetchaburi; PYVET designing with Jok Khon Men fabric from Suntree Thai of Sukhothai; and JANESUDA designing with colorful batik from Marionsiam from Bangkok.

Each designer created two exclusive outfits using local Thai textiles, resulting in a total of 14 one-of-a-kind ensembles. This exclusive collection was first unveiled at Crafts Bangkok 2025, held from June 18-22, 2025, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. SACIT and Siam Piwat are long-standing partners with a shared goal of elevating creative handicrafts from the seven provinces with the assistance of design experts to add value to local Thai wisdom and promote sustainable cultural tourism.

The public is invited to visit the exhibition to celebrate Thai heritage and the creativity of the artisans and designers and view the exhibition of royal Thai fashion from the collection of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya from now until June 29, 2025, at ICONLUXE AVENUE, ICONSIAM. For more information, please visit the SIAM PIWAT and ICONCRAFT Facebook pages.