Story & Photos LIEU CHUONG

Vietnam continues to expand its presence on the international fashion scene with a new wave of young designers making a big impression.

A creative look from Subtle Le Nguyen

Solid foundation

The clothing industry has long played a major role in Vietnam’s economy, with the country’s factories producing items for international brands such as The North Face, Patagonia, Nike, H&M and Uniqlo. In 2018, textile and garment exports were estimated at USD 36.2 billion, up 16.4% compared to 2017, landing Vietnam in the top three exporters in the world, following China and India.

In 2022 the industry grew to 37.9 billion USD in exports to 66 countries and territories despite numerous pandemic-related hurdles.

But beyond its status as a production hub, Vietnam’s home-grown designers are also expanding their presence on the global market. Since 2010, names such as Cong Tri, Thuy Nguyen, Do Manh Cuong and Phuong My have made a mark abroad and laid the groundwork for future generations. A wave of designers including Lam Gia Khang, Hoang Hai, Ly Qui Khanh, Kelly Bui, Devon Nguyen and Do Long have since seen their creations on red carpets and catwalks around the world.

Over the first few years of this decade, we are witnessing another step by Vietnamese fashion into the global market, featuring new names moving in a completely different direction. If the catwalk was the main launching pad for designers and brands to reach audiences in the past, nowadays, the development of social networks and e-commerce platforms has given fashion a younger and more accessible spin.

Modern imprints

The most notable of the current wave of Vietnamese brands is FANCì Club, founded by designer Duy Tran. Influenced by the fashion philosophy of John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood, FANCì Club’s bold see-through designs from nylon, spandex or deadstock mesh quickly won the hearts of fashionistas worldwide. After K-Pop superstars group BLACKPINK wore the brand’s designs in their Lovesick Girls music video, top stars including Devon Lee Carlson, Doja Cat and Nayeon (TWICE) turned to FANCì Club for both on- and off-stage styles.

Along with FANCì Club, the La Lune brand of designer Quach Dac Thang has made dramatic moves, becoming a top choice for many international music artists looking for an abstract and surreal style. La Lune designs are widely popular with female K-Pop idols because of their fancy lines and spirit femininity, which has brought the brand growing renown in the regional and global fashion communities.

Along with brands that have gained fame through social media, several others, most notably NGUYEN HOANG TU and Subtle Le Nguyen, are quietly building a reputation for themselves abroad. Subtle Le Nguyen, the creation of Nguyen Nhat Viet and Giang Le, has appeared in the French magazine Marie Claire and on the e-commerce site Moda Operandi owing to its intelligent shape and material innovation.

Meanwhile, since 2019, designer Nguyen Hoang Tu’s eponymous brand has distributed a large number of products in Paris during each fashion week and has collaborated with well-known showrooms in Europe and America on collections carrying Vietnamese cultural messages and focusing on humanity and sustainability.

Overseas Vietnamese designers are also contributing a significant fashion presence. Peter Do, who was born in Vietnam and migrated to the United States when he was 14 years old, is widely known as one of the most successful Vietnamese-American designers of the new era. In 2014, Do won the LVMH Graduate Prize and established his label in 2018. He launched his first men’s fashion collection in 2022, a partnership with South Korean entertainment label SM Entertainment that featured K-Pop star NCT Jeno on the runway. And this May, Peter Do became the Creative Director of the Helmut Lang brand.

Designer Hung La has taken a different path with the LỰU ĐẠN (slang for “dangerous man”) brand. The Vietnamese-American photographer and designer established the label in London as a bridge to connect his homeland and fulfill his desire to preserve the wild experiences of youth. “Lựu Đạn” is not only a catchy Vietnamese name, but it also represents global communities that are passionate about fashion and adventure.

Vietnam’s journey to the top of the fashion world remains challenging. But local fashion lovers have seen extraordinary growth in just a few years and are expecting an even brighter future.