In an era of burgeoning global recognition for Vietnamese creative talent, a new cohort of designers is making significant strides in the international fashion landscape. Among them, DOAN Atelier stands out, a brand deeply committed to honoring its historical roots while boldly charting a course for the future. Their latest collection, "Nàng Gấm" (Folklore of the Silk Lady), is a profound exploration of traditional Vietnamese artistry, celebrating the enduring beauty and strength of Vietnamese women through the ages with a vision that elevates the regality inherent in labor.
Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a distinguished graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program, unveiled this remarkable collection last spring. Her innovative and audacious designs masterfully intertwine contemporary aesthetics with the rich tapestry of Vietnamese tradition. This dedication to heritage and design excellence did not go unnoticed, earning Jennie a prestigious nomination at the recent Canada Arts and Fashion Awards for the Fashion Design Student Award.
A conversation with the creative forces behind DOAN Atelier, sibling duo Jennie and Austin Doan, offered an intimate glimpse into their journey. Conducted via Zoom, the discussion delved into their familial heritage, the genesis of their brand, and the intricate lore that informs the "Nàng Gấm" collection.
The Sibling Architects of DOAN Atelier
As both siblings and creative collaborators, Jennie and Austin Doan’s partnership is a natural extension of their lifelong bond. Jennie, the visionary designer, meticulously articulates and constructs each garment, breathing life into her creative concepts. Austin, serving as the creative director, shapes the collection’s narrative through extensive research and compelling editorial photography.
Hailing from Vietnam, the siblings are the scions of a family deeply entrenched in the arts, boasting a lineage of musicians and dancers spanning three generations. Jennie’s own background in ballet, coupled with Austin’s studies in traditional music, provided them with a unique artistic foundation. Upon relocating to Toronto for their higher education, they felt an innate pull to explore new avenues within the artistic realm. Austin expanded his creative purview to visual mediums, venturing into music video production, short films, and documentaries, while Jennie discovered her calling in the intricate world of fashion.
"We’ve always been so fascinated with fashion," Austin shared, "and I think it makes sense because we’re both in the arts. We’re both performers ourselves, and so we have that kind of connection to costume design." This connection is particularly evident in Jennie’s design philosophy, which draws parallels between theatrical costuming and haute couture. Years spent in dance rehearsals, surrounded by dazzling costumes and witnessing the meticulous craftsmanship involved, illuminated for Jennie the inherent structural demands of garments designed for movement. This emphasis on how clothing interacts with the body and how it is perceived in motion forms the bedrock of DOAN Atelier’s design ethos. "Garments have to move a certain way and be seen a certain way," Jennie elaborated.
Echoes of Ancestry: The Inspiration Behind "Nàng Gấm"
Immersed in a family rich with classical art forms and generational artistic inheritance, Jennie and Austin turned their gaze inward, exploring the traditional Vietnamese arts and the narratives that have shaped their upbringing. The collection’s title, "Folklore of the Silk Lady," directly references the legends, myths, and tales that resonated with them from childhood. Jennie found particular inspiration in the stories of heroic Vietnamese women, from the formidable TrÆ°ng sisters, 1st-century military commanders who led significant rebellions against Han Chinese rule, to resilient maiden figures in fairy tales like "Tấm and Cám," often dubbed the Vietnamese Cinderella. These historical and mythical accounts, interwoven with personal anecdotes shared by her grandparents and parents about their past and upbringing, fueled Jennie’s desire to pay homage to the women who act as custodians of folklore, those who carry history forward.
"I wanted to dive deeper into how women dressed in the past and what they normally wore," Jennie explained. "I got inspired by áo dài, our traditional costume, áo yếm, and áo bà ba." Her research meticulously examined Vietnamese garments, their regional variations, and their evolution across different eras.
Austin, leveraging his experience in documentary filmmaking, led the in-depth research into the historical evolution of Vietnamese womenswear. A significant challenge, as Jennie noted, was maintaining historical accuracy while allowing for creative interpretation and modernization of these traditional silhouettes.
At the heart of "Nàng Gấm" lies silk, Vietnam’s most historically significant and widely produced fabric. The collection prominently features gấm (heavy silk) and lụa (mulberry silk), both integral to Vietnam’s textile heritage. "When she first pitched this idea, it very much felt like a love letter to silk," Austin remarked. "It not only felt like a love letter to the fabric itself, but to Vietnamese women." This profound reverence for both the material and its cultural significance is palpable in every creation within "Nàng Gấm," where traditional Vietnamese attire is reimagined through a contemporary, editorial lens.
Unraveling the Tapestry: The Lore of "Nàng Gấm"
The "Nàng Gấm" collection delves into the complex interplay of class, labor, and femininity within Vietnamese society. Its striking color palette intentionally employs a duality of black and yellow, symbolizing the working class and nobility, respectively. Historically, black was the preferred color for rural laborers due to its practicality in concealing dirt during agricultural work. In contrast, the upper echelons of society adorned themselves in vibrant yellows, a hue synonymous with wealth, affluence, and authority. This privilege of color extended to the use of silk, a luxurious fabric accessible only to those of a higher social and economic standing.
The collection masterfully integrates iconic elements and garments from various social classes, regions, and occasions across Vietnamese heritage. It transitions seamlessly from the formal elegance of the áo dài to more everyday silhouettes such as the áo yếm, a halter-neck undergarment, and the áo bà ba, a long-sleeved blouse and pant set traditionally associated with women in the Mekong Delta region.
Looks 2 and 5 vividly illustrate this balanced approach, reinterpreting these garments with a modern sensibility while preserving the timeless, rustic, and intimate beauty characteristic of Vietnamese women. Notably, Look 5 garnered international attention when it was featured in the music video for Lady Gaga and Doechii’s song "RUNWAY." This ensemble, featuring a skirt with a lotus-leaf pattern that flares outward like a blooming lotus, ingeniously embeds deep cultural imagery into a high-fashion context, aligning the motif of Vietnamese femininity and resilience with the song’s empowering theme of confidence.
Beyond clothing, the collection also reimagines traditional accessories. These include the khăn mỏ quạ, a square headscarf worn by rural working women; the nón ba tầm, a flat palm hat favored by middle to upper-class Northerners; the mấn (or khăn đội), a ceremonial wedding headdress; and the kiềng, a silver or gold necklace often passed down as a cherished heirloom. The deliberate inclusion of attire from diverse regions of Vietnam underscores the varied nature of labor and how dress is intrinsically shaped by place, occupation, and daily life. "Nàng Gấm" artfully merges the utilitarian design principles of workwear with the regal silhouettes of ceremonial garb, weaving them into contemporary couture compositions.
This striking contrast is particularly evident in Look 1, where a long robe draws inspiration from the áo tấc, a rain cloak traditionally made from layered palm leaves, and the áo long bào, a gold, dragon-emblazoned robe once reserved for the Emperor. This intentional juxtaposition of garments from vastly different origins creates a powerful visual narrative.
Look 3’s skirt shape evokes the design of nơm bắt cá (fish trapping baskets), while cascading yellow silk fringes mimic flowing grains of rice. This imagery powerfully conjures the generations of agricultural labor and sustenance that have been foundational to Vietnamese society.
In Look 4, the collection pays homage to the ethnic minority communities residing in Vietnam’s mountainous regions. A dramatic, asymmetrical shoulder piece emulates the contours of rolling hills and towering peaks. Carved waves across the garment evoke the movement of ruộng bậc thang (terraced rice fields). Worn over a backless áo yếm-inspired dress featuring a bold leg slit, and complemented by a wide-brimmed nón ba tầm that partially veils the eyes, this ensemble exudes confidence and allure, capturing the quiet resilience of Vietnamese women.
From Conception to Couture: The Craftsmanship of "Nàng Gấm"
Look 4 also holds a special significance as it represents the genesis of the "Nàng Gấm" collection – the initial sketch that served as the blueprint for the entire endeavor. This first design was brought to life with meticulous care, with the original sketch preserved intact throughout its execution.
The construction of this piece proved to be a significant learning curve, with Jennie acknowledging the challenges inherent in working with silk. Furthermore, she was committed to sourcing all silks and fabrics for the collection exclusively from Vietnam, working with limited material supplies. The Doan family played a crucial role in the collection’s development; their parents procured the necessary textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam before shipping them to Canada. This collaborative process, supported by family, local businesses, and artisans, embodies an "it takes a village" approach, reinforcing the collection’s dedication to Vietnamese authenticity and craftsmanship.
During the interview, Jennie showcased a piece of test fabric on which she experimented to create the grooved slashes in the shoulder piece of Look 4. The signature yellow silk peeks from beneath black canvas, interspersed with intricate lines of embroidery, each slit and threaded pattern meticulously handcrafted. Jennie shared that she had deconstructed an áo dài sent by her mother, studying its layers, seams, and construction to gain a deeper understanding of garment assembly.
The painstaking level of detail infused into each piece truly embodies the thematic proverb of "Nàng Gấm": khó nhọc, sống sau, which translates literally to "suffer first, ease later," akin to the English saying "no pain, no gain." This philosophy, instilled in Jennie and Austin by their parents, resonated deeply with Jennie throughout the assembly of each garment.
This philosophy of discipline and meticulous care is mirrored in Jennie’s design approach. "As a designer, I feel like everything we do, we have to have the intention behind it," she stated. "I don’t want to put something in without any meaning – even down to the smallest detail like a button or a seam."
By incorporating agricultural motifs, Jennie emphasized the critical importance of hand labor in "harvesting the fruit" of her work. Much like the fishermen, rice harvesters, weavers, and countless hardworking Vietnamese individuals, it is precisely this intensive labor and dedication that are essential for preserving delicate beauty. Through the creation of this collection, Jennie cultivated a profound appreciation for the labor of Vietnamese women throughout history and their invaluable contributions to the preservation of cultural and material traditions.
"Nàng Gấm" on the Global Stage
"Nàng Gấm" represents just the beginning for DOAN Atelier. Jennie and Austin are strategically positioning themselves within the fashion industry while navigating the demanding rhythms of academic pursuits, professional careers, and personal lives. Their immediate goals include further immersing themselves in the industry, fostering connections with fellow creatives, and expanding their team.
Deeply inspired by the Vietnamese designers who paved the way and their contemporary peers, the siblings aspire to join them in claiming a significant presence on the global stage, representing a burgeoning vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and showcase of "Nàng Gấm," Jennie and Austin observed a recurring sentiment from those impressed by the quality of the silk: "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" Initially surprised by this reaction, they reflected on how readily accessible such exquisite silk is within Vietnam, noting, "this is something we could easily have access to; literally, if you go to Bến Thành Market, this silk is so abundant, but it is something so unknown to people elsewhere."
As one of the world’s leading textile exporters, Vietnam plays a monumental role in the global fashion supply chain. However, its long-standing legacy of craftsmanship has historically remained underrecognized. While recent viral social media attention has been given to the Hôi An tailors, particularly among tourists, for Vietnamese people, the culture of tailoring has always been an integral part of daily life, with shops a ubiquitous presence on nearly every corner.
Reflecting on their aspirations for both Vietnamese and international audiences to connect with their future work, Austin articulated, "It’s not just about promoting Vietnamese fabrics and products, but also for them to know that ‘Hey, we’re Vietnamese and we can do this.’ This is something from our country and this is something we can do."
As Jennie and Austin Doan continue to evolve their creative output, DOAN Atelier remains committed to building upon the foundational principles of "Nàng Gấm," translating heritage into modern reinterpretations. The brand consistently endeavors to position Vietnam not merely as a production hub but as a vanguard of emerging creative talent, a nation steeped in rich craftsmanship, cultural memory, and innovation.
At the very core of DOAN Atelier lies an enduring tribute to Vietnamese women, spanning from the past to the present. Their strength, resilience, and labor continue to shape the very fabric of each meticulously crafted piece.
To stay updated with DOAN Atelier’s latest creations and endeavors, follow them on their official Instagram page.