a NOT-BASIC shopping guide to Vietnam
from an actual vietnamese who loves fashion
Before I get into everything, I wanna state my qualifications:
I am Vietnamese, growing up my whole life in Vietnam (insider knoooowledge).
I have worked in fashion in Vietnam, so I’ve met the designers, the PR’s, touch the clothes, talked to the workers. “Immerse myself in the scene,” or whatever.
I am a shopaholic, which is something I am not proud of, but gives me a sufficient amount of knowledge on textiles and shapes. I can recognize a good product when I see one.
Even though I am so happy to see Vietnamese designers getting the flowers they deserve, it gets to a point where people come to these shops just to post on TikTok something along the lines of “This Rick Owens-coded Vietnamese brand” or “Buying this shirt that Jennie Kim wore.” I find that to be too unoriginal, basic, and also hurting these brands’ long-term growth. What happens when these hype die down? It’s important for consumers to understand the brands’ stories and the amazing creative directions that young Viet designers are achieving with their labels.
So here’s a guide to understanding and shopping for Viet brands, from an admirer lol xx
FANCì Club
This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I discovered Fancì, like everyone else in the world, through BLACKPINK’s music video for Pink Venom (or was it Lovesick Girls? pls correct me). For someone who spends all their free time wandering the fashion streets of Hanoi, actively following and engaging with emerging Vietnamese designers, somehow I did not know of the brand earlier.
Fancì’s approach to its designs are clearly y2k-inspired, with a strong emphasis on corsets/corseted tops. To be honest, it is far from being the first fashion brand to deliver these kinds of products, either internationally or in Vietnam. So what makes FANCì?
First, the products are good. Coming from personal experiences of buying off Depop brands and viral Instagram “fashion collectives,” I realize y2k brands often do not have the quality. The aesthetic is fur, is plasticky looking, is vegan leather—everything that a brand can get away with producing cheaply. I take a lot of inspirations from early 2000s Faye Wong, so I am a fan of the y2k silhouettes, like the leopard prints and sheer tops. But the leopard prints and sheer tops are often very, very bad quality: you know when you touch something so gorgeous looking, just to find out it’s plastic badly sewn together? But stuff from FANCì, on the other hand, are extremely well-made. They know how to work the fabric to enhance the body shapes, coming up with designs that are fun but also wearable. Polyester doesn’t wear well on my skin, but I have been known to have a couple of FANCì dresses in my closet.
I once read an interview with Duy Tran, the brand’s founder, and was surprised to learn that he started the business by recycling thrown-away clothes into corsets, patched-up jeans, etc. Within Vietnamese culture (and I’d say many Asian cultures too), there’s still a heavy stigma around wearing secondhand clothing. Older generations tend to look down on it, seeing it as something cheap or unclean. One of my relatives, upon finding out I thrifted the blouse I was wearing, warned me it might be haunted. I mean, if someone is haunting my Vestiaire Pleats Please shirt, then that must be a very chic ghost. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind. I’d actually welcome it.
Second, FANCì is cool. If you open their Instagram, you would immediately be impressed by the consistent aesthetic and beautiful styling. You’d see the FANCì girls in their corset tops, mini skirts and kitten heels, who are cool but not snobby about it. Their digital presence is amazing; they look straight out of SSENSE main page. And it’s all local talents!!!! An Instagram brand that can talk the talk and most importantly walk the walk
My recommendations: Fanci is known for their corseted tops, but I would recommend looking into their coats and heels, especially the parrot laced up heels and the victoria jacket!!!
SUBTLE LE NGUYEN
Subtle is that brand that once you’ve got to know their world, you just wanna live in it forever.
If Fanci is rebellious and edgy, then Subtle is gentle, simple, and quietly refined. There are a lot of brands striving for that “quiet luxury,” minimalistic look, but not everyone can get it right. And Suble Gets It. Beautiful clothes, gorgeous brand presence, against a backgrop of gorgeous Vietnam. I’m in love.
I visited Subtle’s flagship store in Hanoi earlier this summer. It was a small little boutique in the city center. and I remember at that time the building next door was doing some very loud construction, plus the noise from the city itself made it an overwhelming scene. But when I stepped into the store, it was like I entered another world. Continuing with the storytelling of the brand, the store is exactly what you would expect: white walls, thin black racks of linen clothing and delicate dresses, small leather bags stacked at the front, with calming music playing. The staff were absolutely lovely—so warm and knowledgeable. They helped pick out pieces for me and talked me through the details of each one.
It is to note though, that Subtle is a bit too pricey for me at this time. I am so sad that there is no secondhand market for the brand yet, because their basics are the absolute best. Think 100% cotton, perfectly made t-shirts that fit perfectly, breezy linen dresses that are conceptual but still wearable, the coolest bubble skirts, etc.
One thing that I’ve always adored about Subtle is their dedication to heritage. You can catch glimpses of the áo dài, the áo bà ba, or the delicate folds found on traditional Central Highlands longhouses in their designs. They use humble materials like linen and raw cotton—things deeply tied to everyday Vietnamese life—but breathe into them a spirit that feels completely of this era. Their SS24 is forever in my moodboard.
The brand does get compared to other minimalistic brands a lot (i.e. LEMAIRE). I personally disagree with this, so I’m a bit iffy when people start saying how you can get “cheaper The Row-coded items” here. idk. I just love this brand (and its founders) so much.
My recommendations are all their dresses. I am saving up for one myself lol.
MOI DIEN
Tom Trandt (founder of the brand) said in an interview:
In Vietnam, people have a desire to stand out, but not many options to actually express that. Môi Điên was created to meet that demand.
A critical factor for Vietnam’s success in the global fashion world is its people’s desire for innovation and creativity. The Vietnamese consumers are non-conformists, influenced by international cultures very strongly. Moi Dien tapped into the avant-garde crowd very successfully, creating pieces that are very much innovative and conceptual. Because of this, the brand is a bit harder to wear everyday like the two previous ones, but if you’re bold enough who’s to say you can’t rock a MD dress to the streets?
I was surprised to see their newest collection heavily in black and white, with simpler silhouettes, because I remember the brand to be much more flamboyant and experimental. For example, here’s the collection before:
There is something to say about this minimalistic move (if there even is one, maybe this is only for a season?) and the economic state, but that’s for another time.
MOI DIEN has a store in Ho Chi Minh City’s center, and I also visited it last year. I didn’t have much memory of the space itself, but I do remember trying on the pieces and admiring them like art. You know when you walk into an insanely cool store and are so inspired that you pick a grand garment you’d never wear just to try it on? It’s the exact feeling I get shopping at the brand.
The price was surprisingly good too. You would expect an avant-garde brand like this to have heftier prices, because of the man hours going into making a piece, but MOI DIEN’s pricing is definitely amazing (especially for foreigners).
My recommendation: this dress [𝐕𝐀́𝐘 𝐌𝐄̀𝐎 𝐂𝐀̀𝐎]. I don’t know if it’s still on sale?
End,
My intention for this piece was to really highlight the storytelling and the brains inside these amazing brands that are so promising. I hope it translates through ,,
I wanna do a part 2, because I still have at least 3 that I want to talk about. Anyone that has ANY RECOMMENDATIONS about any Asian brands, please leave it down!! I’m so interested.
Have you guys ever heard of/shopped at these brands? It’s always so cool for me (a Viet) to hear about local brands from the perspectives of others outside the country.
As with any content about shopping, I want to reiterate one more time: NO PIECE OF CLOTHING WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!! shop responsibly!!
goodbye and see you very soon (๑˘︶˘๑)