We create based on nature, dyeing fabrics from plants, weaving fabrics from bacteria

According to architect Nguyen Kieu Lam, in design, natural structures are always the most sustainable and the closer a product is to nature, the more lasting its value.

The open space of the loom is recreated with inspiration from the brocade weaving village - Photo: Lam Weaving Spaces

Within the framework of the Year of Innovation - an initiative launched by the French Embassy in Vietnam in 2025, the French Institute in Ho Chi Minh City organized the workshop Shaping Future Design: A French-Vietnamese Intersectional Perspective on the evening of June 7 at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel.

The event attracted a large number of attendees to listen to the sharing from French and Vietnamese designers to respond to current challenges such as: sustainability, innovation, inclusive design in the handicraft and design industries in Vietnam.

Speakers sharing at the workshop - Photo: HO LAM

Ideas come from craft villages

In the first session, speakers discussed the intersections between crafts, nature and design.

Designer Tony Jouanneau - a lecturer at ENSCI - Les Ateliers, a leading French design school, decided to shift his research to ecological design, inspired by nature, after working for 7 years in a fabric company, applying many chemical methods.

"Because of working with chemicals for a long time, I got severe pneumonia.

Then I decided to move towards a more eco-friendly design direction. In 2017, I founded Atelier SUMBIOSIS, which combines science and textile craftsmanship.

We create and research everything based on nature. For example, techniques using plant-based dyes; weaving fabrics from bacteria..." - Tony said.

Or like Nguyen Kieu Lam, founder of Lam Weaving Spaces - a creative platform combining technology and art in space design - also shared that she approaches creativity through two interwoven aspects of aesthetic inspiration and manufacturing techniques, originating from traditional crafts to create contemporary spaces.

Architect Nguyen Kieu Lam shares - Photo: HO LAM

Lam once had the opportunity to visit the Cham brocade weaving village - Phan Rang - Thap Cham and was very impressed with the manual weaving process here: "The loom, materials, the way the warp threads are stretched on the loom, the heavy objects that hang the threads... create artistic horizontal and vertical technical layers.

The craftsmen's hands are skillful, without unnecessary movement, they are very free with their familiar tools. The brocade fabrics full of patterns are formed from the arrangement of those separate colored threads".

From watching brocade weaving, Lam was inspired to recreate the open space of the loom: "Viewers can experience the "weaving" space from large, colorful fabric threads. These materials are reused from events that have taken place that I have collected and archived."

Viewers can experience the space "woven" from large, colorful fabric threads - Photo: Lam Weaving Spaces

Reuse in design

Architect Nguyen Dinh Hoa believes that designers are not only the ones who propose designs but also have to pay attention to the production and distribution process of the product. In this case, the issue of design ethics needs to be put first.

For architect Nguyen Kieu Lam, through a series of seminars and events, she wants to emphasize the role of the designer not only in shaping spatial forms but also in determining the life cycle of materials through creativity and responsible design thinking.

Do paper material was used by Lam to decorate the ceiling in the workshop - Photo: HO LAM

Lam gives the example of Do paper, a material she used in three events in three different spaces. After each event, all the material was collected and reused in a new design for the next installation.

“Material selection should be considered from the outset, based on criteria such as recyclability, waste minimization and long-term usability, while still ensuring the creation of a vibrant, engaging space. This approach is particularly important in short-term event design, where single-use materials often go to waste.

I realized that no matter what material we choose to use, natural structures are still the most sustainable, and the more we move towards nature and are environmentally friendly, the more sustainable and valuable our products and spaces will be," said the founder of Lam Weaving Spaces.

LAKE LAM

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chung-toi-sang-tao-dua-tren-thien-nhuom-vai-tu-thuc-vat-det-vai-tu-vi-khuan-20250607192858932.htm