Making traditional Vietnamese clothing cool again: meet the designer convincing the young to wear 19th century outfits
- A 28-year-old entrepreneur in Hanoi is on a mission to make Vietnamese 19th-century outfits a part of modern-day life
- Extravagant, bright and colourful, his outfits are seeing a growing interest among young people. Many rent one for photo shoots, with prices starting at US$17
Nineteenth-century Vietnamese outfits – made from delicate silk, intricately embroidered and with vast, flared sleeves – do not seem a good fit for life in the country’s hectic modern cities. But Nguyen Duc Loc, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who employs an 11-strong production team in Hanoi, is convinced the attire of their ancestors can make a return to modern-day living.
“My ambition is that in any Vietnamese wardrobe, as well as suits, trousers, dresses, there will be at least one outfit based on an ancient style to wear on important occasions,” like festivals and weddings, he says.
He wants everyone, both men and women, to appreciate the “astonishing beauty” of ancient imperial-style dress, he says, and understand the part this clothing plays in Vietnam’s cultural history.
In one of its first major commissions, Y Van Hien was asked to produce costumes for Phuong Khau, an 18-episode YouTube drama about an emperor and empress of the Nguyen dynasty.