Vietnamese designers reach international level: Dare to "play big", receive worthy results

In 2024, the Vietnamese fashion industry witnessed many impressive "overseas" ventures.

In October 2024, designer Do Manh Cuong held a fashion show at Shanghai Fashion Week (China), marking the third time his brand has expanded beyond Vietnam.

For the Spring/Summer 2025 fashion season, which took place in September 2024, designer Tran Hung presented his 13th consecutive collection, within the framework of London Fashion Week (UK).

At Milan Fashion Week (Italy), Phan Dang Hoang became the first Vietnamese designer to present his new collection in person.

In an interview with a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper, fashion designers Do Manh Cuong, Tran Hung, and Phan Dang Hoang shared their experiences in bringing Vietnamese brands to the world stage over the past year.

Overcoming stringent standards

Bringing Vietnamese fashion to the world stage is a challenging journey for any designer, even big names with years of experience. There are many regulations that require adaptation and intense focus.

Designer Do Manh Cuong shared: "Stepping onto the international stage and integrating into a completely new environment, we have to work quickly, efficiently, and accurately. At major fashion weeks, we need to handle a lot of paperwork, contracts, procedures… sometimes it makes me stressed."

However, viewed from a positive perspective, these things help things run smoothly and ensure the rights of all parties are protected.

Pressure is inevitable in the development process. The most important thing is that we must see opportunities to keep moving forward."

From left to right: Lan Khuê, designer Đỗ Mạnh Cường, Thanh Hằng and H'Hen Niê at the "Shanghai Fashion Week" show.

In his journey to expand internationally, designer Tran Hung affirms that the biggest challenge is getting his personal brand to become an official member of London Fashion Week .

He said: "To hold an official show at a fashion week abroad, you have to be a member of that fashion week organization. Otherwise, you can perform as a guest, or participate in unofficial fashion weeks or side events."

Once officially approved to perform, you will have to sign a contract with the Fashion Council – the organization that holds the fashion week – and also cover the costs of production and model hiring."

For young designers like Phan Dang Hoang, appearing on international runways is a truly stressful challenge.

Designer Phan Đăng Hoàng feels proud to have successfully organized the show after overcoming many difficulties and challenges.

To participate in Milan Fashion Week , the designer, born in 2000, prepared for almost a year. He had to go through many stages of application review, in addition to ensuring his finances were secure.

"According to fashion week regulations, a collection presented must include a sufficient number of designs, from 25 to 30 or more."

I personally brought a total of 40 outfits to Milan. The journey was so stressful and exhausting that I wanted to give up many times.

In addition, I faced financial difficulties due to numerous organizational expenses such as sound, lighting, backstage, makeup, etc. Fortunately, I received support from two other fashion brands.

"After all, I've completed the show, fulfilled my dream," designer Phan Dang Hoang confided.

Conquering the international fashion world.

Speaking about the reasons for choosing the Chinese market by participating in Shanghai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 , designer Do Manh Cuong explained: "China has a large population. Most of the world's major fashion brands are concentrated here. We realize that China is a potential market that needs to be conquered."

On the other hand, several Chinese celebrities have chosen to wear my designs, such as Joey Yung. Therefore, we have more motivation and confidence to develop our brand in the market of the world's largest population."

The designs of fashion designer Do Manh Cuong have attracted attention from international media.

Icelandic singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir chose designer Do Manh Cuong as her partner for her latest project. Björk Guðmundsdóttir praised his designs at Shanghai Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week .

In addition, the outfits designed by Do Manh Cuong were also worn by actress Lily Collins in season 4 of Emily in Paris , as well as on the film's global promotional poster.

"I am very happy that my designs have appeared in Vogue magazine, and have received high praise from international media," said designer Do Manh Cuong.

Ariana Grande wore an outfit designed by Tran Hung.

Back in March, singer Ariana Grande wore a dress from designer Tran Hung's Fall/Winter 2023 collection to promote her new album Eternal Sunshine and the music video for We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) .

Designer Tran Hung emphasized: "I am very happy and proud that Ariana Grande wore my design in the campaign for her new album."

This is the first time Ariana Grande has worn an outfit from a Vietnamese brand, designed by a Vietnamese designer.

Following his Spring/Summer 2025 show at Milan Fashion Week , designer Phan Dang Hoang had the opportunity to chat with Vogue 's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.

The "Iron Lady" of the fashion world showered him with praise and advice on how to develop his brand.

"The first live show held abroad helped my brand gain more recognition. This boosted brand awareness before moving on to other long-term business plans," designer Phan Dang Hoang revealed to a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper.

Vietnamese brands have the potential to reach international levels.

Fashion designer Do Manh Cuong believes that to attract international customers, especially celebrities and entertainment stars, Vietnamese brands need to have a unique identity coupled with high quality.

He explained: "To build a distinctive identity and superior quality, every designer and brand needs to go through a process of training and honing their skills and mindset, as well as experiencing failure."

There is no single formula for any designer or brand to succeed when expanding globally, because each individual's identity is unique."

According to designer Do Manh Cuong, bringing Vietnamese fashion to the international stage is a real "battle." In this battle, the designer and the brand need to prepare themselves with the mindset of a warrior, concealing within them the soul of an artist. Balancing commercial appeal and artistic elements is challenging, but this forces designers to adapt in order to succeed in the long run.

"Every designer should develop their own unique identity, not just being imaginative with ideas but also basing their work on market demands, because fashion is essentially a business," he emphasized.

Designer Phan Đăng Hoàng consistently conveys messages about the image and culture of Vietnam through each of his collections.

For designer Tran Hung, the key to attracting clients and global celebrities lies in creativity. Every designer must have a strong personal touch to stand out and be different in a competitive market.

"Every time I successfully organize a fashion show, I feel proud to be a designer from Vietnam. I also hope that in the future, more and more Vietnamese brands will expand internationally."

"Vietnamese fashion has the potential to make its mark on the international fashion map. If a designer wants to reach out to the world, they should strive to pursue that goal. You should start with the smallest things, gradually approaching international fashion," designer Tran Hung emphasized.

According to designer Phan Dang Hoang, each Vietnamese brand has its own unique identity and way of expressing itself, aiming to differentiate itself from international brands.

He said: "The global fashion market offers each Vietnamese designer great potential for career development."

Besides talent and personal effort, each designer needs careful planning to come up with cost-effective solutions. This ensures that the brand's unique identity is maintained while meeting the expectations of the international market.

In October 2024, designer Do Manh Cuong introduced his Spring/Summer 2025 collection at Shanghai Fashion Week . The collection was based on the concept of maximalist fashion. The designs impressed with their elaborate silhouettes and the use of many complex techniques.

In September 2024, designer Tran Hung launched his 13th consecutive collection at London Fashion Week . The collection explores the elegant beauty of orchids. Having pursued the "sustainable fashion" trend for many years, designer Tran Hung wanted to convey a message of environmental protection through the image of orchids – a flower heavily affected by climate change.

In late September 2024, designer Phan Dang Hoang unveiled his new collection at Milan Fashion Week . The collection was inspired by the silk paintings of the renowned artist Nguyen Phan Chanh, combined with ceramic art to honor the artistic values ​​deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture.

Photo: Provided by the subject

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/tet-2025/nha-thiet-ke-viet-vuon-tam-quoc-te-dam-choi-lon-nhan-ket-qua-xung-dang-20250125174503527.htm