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Aiym Samatova

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • 3D Modeling
  • Art
  • Alpine Skiing
  • Advertising
  • Collaging
  • Business And Entrepreneurship
  • Reading
  • Speech and Debate
  • Ecology
  • Sustainability
  • Costume Design
  • Nordic Skiing
  • Art History

Reading

  • Academic
  • Adventure
  • Art
  • Design
  • Environment
  • Education

Bio

In Kyrgyzstan, fashion became my way to link creativity with social impact. Through Fashion Revolution, I organized workshops and the “Who Made My Clothes” exhibition, opening conversations about sustainability and transparency. I launched “From Tradition to Innovation”, training 50+ teachers and inspiring 200+ entrepreneurs, while with Enactus I led an eco-project that cut waste by 40% and reached 400+ rural students. My collections — including a socially themed line at an Eco Fashion Show and an installation in Istanbul — reflect my belief that clothing can tell stories and spark change. I aim to create a hub of sustainable design and entrepreneurship in Central Asia, scaling projects that unite tradition with innovation.

Education

Drexel University

Bachelor's degree program

2025 – 2029

Majors:
  • Apparel and Textiles
  • Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art
  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
Minors:
  • Sustainability Studies
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General
  • Social Sciences, General

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Cornell University, Fashion Institute of Technology
Majors of interest:
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other, Marketing, Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other, Apparel and Textiles, Sustainability Studies
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Project Manager and Teacher (Owner)

    Education · Enactus — E-Club & E-Cup Projects (My own project)

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2024

  • Team Lead / CLO3D Designer

    Technology · The Dress Code/UDCLO (Digital Fashion Hackathon Project)

    Jan 2023 – Present

  • Country Ambassador (Kyrgyzstan)

    Environmental Services · Fashion Revolution

    Jan 2024 – Present

  • Marketing and Sales Strategist Project Manager

    Apparel & Fashion · Toolor (International Functional Outerwear Brand)

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2024

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Apparel & Fashion
Dream career goals:
Fasion Product Managment , Founder of a sustainable fashion brand
Work experience:
0 years
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Ultrafabrics Inc. Scholarship Award
Winner
Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, I often saw valuable natural resources being overlooked. Discarded walnut shells were treated as waste, and large amounts of merino wool were underused or thrown away because they had little commercial value. Seeing these materials go to waste made me ask a simple question: What if design could give them a second life? That question inspired my passion for sustainable materials and continues to guide my work today. I am studying Fashion Industry and Merchandising at Drexel University, but my goal goes beyond designing clothing. I want to develop innovative materials that reduce waste, replace less sustainable alternatives, and create value from natural resources. For me, sustainability begins with changing the way we think about materials before a product is even made. One of my research projects focuses on underutilized Kyrgyz merino wool. Instead of treating lower-grade wool as a low-value material, I explored how it could be transformed into a durable, repairable textile for outdoor products. My goal was not only to reduce waste but also to support local wool producers and demonstrate that traditional natural fibers can become part of modern material innovation. More recently, I developed a bio-composite material from discarded Kyrgyz walnut shells. Using walnut shell powder, cellulose fibers, and a bio-based binder, I tested different formulations to understand how the material’s composition affected flexibility, strength, and durability. Through this project, I learned that sustainability is not simply about using more waste. It is about finding the right balance between environmental responsibility and material performance. Although these projects use different natural resources, they share the same purpose: transforming overlooked materials into valuable products. They have taught me that sustainable design is not only about reducing environmental impact but also about creating new opportunities for local communities and building circular systems where waste becomes a resource. In the future, I hope to continue developing sustainable materials with university laboratories and industry partners. My goal is to create materials that can be used in real products while supporting local industries in Kyrgyzstan and reducing dependence on non-renewable resources.
Ultrafabrics Inc. Scholarship Award
2,700 liters. What comes to mind immediately? Wow — that’s enough water to sustain me for 900 days, take 30 baths, or even water entire fields. So many possibilities! But who would have thought that 2,700 liters of water would remind me of… a T-shirt. Yes, just a regular white T-shirt that almost everyone owns. That number was my wake-up call. It made me see clothes differently — not just as fabric and stitches, but as stories of resources, labor, and impact. This curiosity led me to join the Fashion Revolution campaign and its Who Made My Clothes movement. I organized awareness events, shared information online, and spoke to local communities about the hidden journey of garments — from fiber cultivation to final sale. I saw how little people knew about their clothes’ origins, and how powerful it was to connect them to the makers and the environmental cost behind each piece. During this time, I began reflecting on my own heritage. I grew up in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where my family kept large flocks of sheep. My grandmother bred fine sheep with high-quality wool, and every shearing season our yard filled with soft fibers. But alongside the valuable wool was always a pile of coarse, short fibers — “unusable” wool that no one wanted. We often burned it. Watching this felt wrong. For centuries, wool had been woven into our homes, clothes, and traditions. Now, part of that heritage was being discarded as waste. This became the starting point for Smart Wool — my project to transform low-grade wool into a high-performance, sustainable textile. Through a process I developed — enzymatic shrink-proofing, structural densification, eco-friendly PFC-free DWR coating, and blending with biopolyamide — I can preserve up to 58% of wool that would otherwise be thrown away. The result is a material that’s 30% warmer, 15% stronger, and 67% more abrasion-resistant than untreated wool, while remaining natural. Processing just 50 tons annually could save 30+ tons of CO₂ emissions and prevent wasting thousands of cubic meters of water used to produce new fibers. To bring Smart Wool into modern design workflows, I integrated CLO3D into my process. This tool lets me create lifelike prototypes, test how Smart Wool behaves in different designs, and cut physical samples by half — reducing waste, speeding production, and improving resource use. I have already created three digital prototypes from Smart Wool: Insulated jacket — showcasing water-repellent and windproof qualities. Classic coat — highlighting thermal insulation and premium look. Casual sweatshirt — demonstrating comfort and everyday wearability. For me, sustainability is about closing the loop — from raw fiber to final garment — and ensuring that no resource, tradition, or story is lost. By combining cultural heritage with technological innovation, I want to show that sustainable design can protect traditions, empower communities, and inspire global change. Smart Wool is my proof that what was once considered waste can become the fabric of the future.
Aiym Samatova Student Profile | Bold.org