'Pick up, put down' choose fashion brand name

Not many designers use their own name as their brand name anymore because of the risk. The current trend of naming brands in the Vietnamese fashion industry reflects the founder's vision.

Vietnamese fashion boasts many famous brands associated with the real names of designers, such as Thuy Nguyen, Phuong My, Truong Thanh Hai, Le Lam, Le Thanh Hoa, Do Manh Cuong, and Lam Gia Khang… However, this trend is gradually declining due to its many negative aspects. The clearest example is the "shock" that occurred in July, when a designer faced legal troubles, causing significant damage to his brand.

Customers shop at The Blue Tshirt's new store in Ho Chi Minh City.

Photo: Provided by the interviewee

From another perspective, many founders have taken a proactive approach to naming their brands. Designer Ha Thanh Viet said he spent a lot of time, deliberating many times, before choosing the name White Plan for his first fashion brand. In the six years since its founding, the brand has maintained its signature design style with white as the dominant color. Separating the brand name from the personal name allows the founder to develop the brand in different market segments simultaneously. Ha Thanh Viet has a youth-oriented brand called Ar Mous and a brand bearing his name specializing in elaborate, mostly handcrafted clothing.

In 2018, Lam Gia Khang was considered reckless when he abandoned his rapidly growing brand name, LAM GIA KHANG, to establish Gia Studios. The designer shared that the brand's success came at the cost of his personal life. The journey of developing his "brainchild" changed his perspective and gave him the courage to return to the starting point. The new name represents an upgrade and maturation of the founder himself, his creative philosophy, and his products. He didn't want the brand to age with him, so he set aside his ego so that at some point he could delegate the design responsibilities to others.

Currently, Gia Studios is one of the new names representing Vietnamese fashion both domestically and internationally. The brand has grown to the point of opening temporary stores in Paris (France), Shanghai (China), etc., and is popular with customers in Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East. Following its spacious store in Hanoi , the brand is preparing to open a large showroom in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meanwhile, stylist Kim Tuyen is one of the founders who chose a different path from the very beginning. In 2013, she chose the name The Blue Tshirt for her fashion brand, inspired by the blue t-shirt – an essential item used daily by everyone. Recently, to celebrate its 12th anniversary, the brand refreshed its identity by opening a store with a green space, spreading a message of sustainability through its main products – jeans, shirts, etc. – which are produced transparently and with high quality. Kim Tuyen said she tried many different paths but ultimately realized that the right direction was the original goal – the brand's name. She decided to focus on basic clothing lines, improving quality and only innovating based on her own strengths.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nang-len-dat-xuong-chon-ten-thuong-thoi-trang-185250908225936663.htm