Building a brand from traditional strengths.

The Vietnamese fashion industry is witnessing a wave of young designers choosing a different path: delving deeper into the origins of materials and preserving traditional crafts; emphasizing identity and community engagement.

Designer Cao Minh Tien's collection features elements of the folk culture of the Kinh Bac region. (Photo: VIFW 2025)

Within the evolving landscape of Vietnam's cultural industry, fashion has been identified as one of 12 promising sectors receiving focused investment and development.

Reaching out to the international stage

Contemporary Vietnamese fashion has transcended its role as a purely manufacturing industry to gradually establish itself as a creative industry, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern design thinking to convey cultural and historical values ​​and win over consumers both domestically and internationally.

In previous decades, Vietnamese fashion reached international fashion runways mainly through cultural exchange and was mostly limited to classic ao dai, ao tu than, and ba ba styles. However, nowadays, many Vietnamese brands have participated in major cultural and entertainment events around the world .

Instead of chasing trends, many successful Vietnamese designers choose to draw inspiration from traditional culture, using local materials and "telling" Vietnamese cultural stories to the public through visual language.

Over the past three years, many international stars have chosen to wear Vietnamese designs at film festivals, beauty pageants, music videos, and global tours. Designers such as Cong Tri, Do Manh Cuong, Thuy Nguyen, Le Thanh Hoa, Chung Thanh Phong, Nguyen Minh Tuan, Tran Hung, and many other young talents, along with brands like Fancì Club, L Soul, La Lune, Bupbes, TimTay, CoolMate... are popular both domestically and internationally, widely distributed through shopping malls and online platforms. The rise of domestic brands proves that Vietnam is not just a manufacturing destination but can also be a source of fashion creativity.

Encouragingly, instead of chasing trends, many successful Vietnamese designers choose to draw inspiration from traditional culture, using local materials, and "telling" Vietnamese cultural stories to the public through visual language.

Recently, designer Cong Tri introduced his Autumn/Winter 2025 collection in Vogue magazine, featuring designs made from the "treasure" of Vietnam's textile industry: Lanh My A silk (from Tan Chau village, An Giang province). Brands like La Pham and Kilomet109 transformed hand-woven brocade from the H'Mong people in the northern mountainous provinces into high-end fashion on the London runway.

One notable figure is designer Phan Dang Hoang (born in 2000), who has successively brought paintings by the renowned artist Nguyen Phan Chanh, as well as Vietnamese ceramics and Do paper, to the fashion capital of Milan (Italy)... The GenZ designer shared: "National pride is an endless source of creativity. I hope to contribute to bringing Vietnamese fashion to the world so that more and more people will know about the beauty of Vietnam, and there will be more opportunities for designers and fashion lovers in Vietnam."

At the Vietnam International Fashion Week 2025 (VIFW 2025), held in early June in Ho Chi Minh City with the theme "Unique Identity Shines," many collections used silk, hemp, linen, etc., inspired by regional cultural heritage. For example, Vu Viet Ha's "Ma Dao" recreated the Bac Ha horse racing festival (Lao Cai) using brocade and hand embroidery techniques, while Cao Minh Tien's "Thoai Mong" honored Quan Ho folk songs and the Mother Goddess worship through costumes deeply rooted in the Kinh Bac style. He is also the designer behind the music video "Bac Bling" by Hoa Minzy, contributing to spreading the beauty of regional culture to young people.

Beyond creating economic value, many designers see collaborating with artisans as a way to preserve culture. For many years, designer Minh Hanh has integrated brocade from Northwest and Central Highlands regions into ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) and ready-to-wear fashion.

Traditional craft villages such as Lung Tam linen weaving (Tuyen Quang), Nam Cao silk weaving (Hung Yen), Quat Dong hand embroidery (Hanoi), and Ma Chau silk weaving (Da Nang)... have become sources of raw materials and creative inspiration for urban fashion. Many ancient patterns, traditional dyes, and traditional weaving techniques that have been lost or are at risk of disappearing are being revived and maintained by designers in collaboration with the community.

Keeping up with the digital transformation trend.

Besides incorporating Vietnamese materials and designs into their creations, another interesting trend is emerging: the influence of digital platforms on shopping. Smaller brands and aspiring designers are no longer burdened by the high costs of prime retail space to showcase their products. High-quality fashion items, coupled with engaging content circulating on social media and online sales channels, can bring Vietnamese fashion closer to customers faster and more conveniently than ever before. Young consumers increasingly prioritize "Made in Vietnam" products with distinctive designs, environmentally friendly materials, reasonable prices, and a clear cultural narrative. Tourists from Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, China, and other countries are also embracing the trend of shopping tourism based on viral videos of Vietnamese brands in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, viewing it as part of their cultural experience.

According to a survey at the 2025 Sustainable Consumption Forum held on July 2nd in Hanoi, 74% of Vietnamese consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products. Among them, young people aged 18-38, accounting for approximately 47% of the population, are the driving force behind this responsible consumption trend. They not only seek out aesthetically pleasing clothing but also care about the story behind each design, the value the brand brings, and how it reflects their own identity.

According to experts, sustainable fashion in Vietnam is based on three main factors: using bio-based and recycled materials; reviving traditional crafts; and building a transparent supply chain. This is a process that requires long-term investment and coordination from many parties.

According to a survey at the Sustainable Consumption Forum 2025 held on July 2nd in Hanoi, 74% of Vietnamese consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.

Take Kilomet109, for example – a brand established in 2009, when the concept of "sustainable fashion" was still new. The brand pursues a "slow but steady" model, a closed loop from growing raw materials and harvesting to weaving, dyeing, and designing. Currently, Kilomet109 works with H'Mong, Nung, Khmer, and Thai artisans in remote areas, where ethnic identities are deeply preserved.

Several other brands also build collaborative networks with households and craft village cooperatives, creating products rich in cultural and community value. Fashion linked to livelihoods and the preservation of traditional crafts helps enhance the industry's social role in the modern era.

On an industrial scale and targeting the international market, several Vietnamese businesses have successfully researched, applied, and developed fabrics from pandan leaves, lotus silk, coffee grounds, oyster shells, etc., with superior characteristics such as breathability and environmental friendliness.

However, Vietnamese fashion still faces many challenges. Designer Thu Cúc, founder of the Cúc Handmade brand (using fabrics woven by the Thai people in Phú Thọ and Nghệ An), said: “Handmade fabrics are three or four times more expensive than industrial fabrics of the same color and durability. Sustainable fashion production requires high skill and a stable order volume; otherwise, it is very difficult to survive.”

Furthermore, sustainable fashion faces competition from cheap imported goods, while there are no specific credit support or incentive policies in place. Differences in consumer habits between regions also pose a significant obstacle.

Ms. Le Thi Quynh Trang, President of the Southeast Asian Fashion Designers Association, also noted that close cooperation between designers, businesses, and management agencies and professional organizations is essential to create a comprehensive policy for the fashion industry. In reality, many Vietnamese designers possess good design thinking, but they need to apply technology, enhance their competitiveness, and connect with global supply chains. Only then will "Made in Vietnam" fashion truly become a creative industry imbued with the Vietnamese spirit, connecting people, culture, and the environment in each product.

HAI LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xay-dung-thuong-hieu-tu-the-manh-truyen-thong-post893505.html