In an era of burgeoning global recognition for Vietnamese creatives, a new wave of designers is making significant inroads into the international fashion landscape. Among them, DOAN Atelier stands out, weaving a narrative of heritage and future aspirations into the very fabric of their collections. Their recent offering, Nàng Gấm, translating to Folklore of the Silk Lady, is a profound exploration of traditions passed down through generations, celebrating the enduring beauty and strength of Vietnamese women throughout history with a vision that elevates the regality of labor.
Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program, unveiled her final collection last spring. The showcase featured a series of innovative and bold designs that not only pushed creative boundaries but also served as a powerful testament to Vietnamese tradition. Her exceptional work garnered a nomination at the prestigious Canada Arts and Fashion Awards for the Fashion Design Student Award, a significant recognition within the competitive Canadian fashion scene.
EnVi recently connected with the creative force behind DOAN Atelier, siblings Jennie and Austin Doan, for an in-depth conversation over Zoom. The duo shared insights into their personal roots, the genesis of their brand, and the rich tapestry of lore that inspired the Nàng Gấm collection.
The Siblings Behind the Seams: A Shared Artistic Vision
The partnership between Jennie and Austin Doan is a natural extension of their familial bond and shared artistic sensibilities. Jennie, the visionary designer, meticulously articulates and constructs each garment, bringing her creative concepts to life. Austin, serving as the creative director, shapes the overarching narrative of the collection through extensive research and evocative editorial photoshoots. This symbiotic relationship ensures a cohesive and compelling presentation of their work.
Hailing from Vietnam, the siblings are the inheritors of a rich artistic legacy. Their family boasts three generations of musicians and dancers, a heritage that has profoundly influenced their creative journeys. Jennie’s background in ballet and Austin’s studies in traditional music provided them with a deep understanding of movement, form, and cultural expression. Upon relocating to Toronto for their studies, they sought to forge new paths within the arts. Austin broadened his artistic scope to encompass visual mediums, producing music videos, short films, and documentaries, while Jennie discovered her calling in the intricate world of fashion design.
"We’ve always been so fascinated with fashion, and I think it makes sense because we’re both in the arts," Austin explained. "We’re both performers ourselves, and so we have that kind of connection to costume design."
Jennie’s years of ballet rehearsals, surrounded by the glamour of stage costumes and an appreciation for the meticulous craftsmanship involved, revealed a striking parallel between theatrical costuming and haute couture. In dance, where movement and the human form are the primary language, costumes are designed with an inherent emphasis on structure and how they interact with the body. Jennie applies this fundamental principle to her designs, believing it to be the cornerstone of DOAN Atelier’s aesthetic. "Garments have to move a certain way and be seen a certain way," she stated.
Unearthing Vietnamese Lore: The Genesis of Nàng Gấm
Drawing inspiration from their family’s deep immersion in classical art forms and the generational inheritance of craft, Jennie and Austin delved into the rich tapestry of traditional Vietnamese arts. Their journey began with the stories that had been woven into the fabric of their upbringing. The collection’s title, Folklore of the Silk Lady, directly references the legends, myths, and tales that shaped their childhoods. Jennie found particular resonance in the histories of Vietnamese heroines, from the formidable Trưng sisters, who led rebellions in the 1st century, to resilient maidens depicted in fairytales like Tấm and Cám, often referred to as the Vietnamese Cinderella. Complementing these historical narratives, personal anecdotes shared by her grandparents and parents about their past and upbringings further fueled her creative vision. Through these explorations, Jennie aimed to pay homage to the keepers of folklore: the women who carry histories forward.
"I wanted to dive deeper into how women dressed in the past and what they normally wore," Jennie elaborated. "I got inspired by áo dài, our traditional costume, áo yếm, and áo bà ba." Her research into Vietnamese garments explored regional variations and their evolution over time, revealing the intricate relationship between clothing and societal context.
Austin, with his background in documentary filmmaking, led the extensive research into the evolution of Vietnamese womenswear. A significant challenge, as Jennie noted, was maintaining historical accuracy while simultaneously allowing for creative reinterpretation. This delicate balance between authenticity and artistic license is a hallmark of the Nàng Gấm collection.
Silk, Vietnam’s most historically significant and widely produced fabric, takes center stage in Nàng Gấm. The collection prominently features gấm (heavy silk) and lụa (mulberry silk), fabrics deeply intertwined with Vietnamese culture and craftsmanship. "When she first pitched this idea, it very much felt like a love letter to silk," Austin recalled. "It not only felt like a love letter to the fabric itself, but to Vietnamese women." This profound reverence for both material and muse is palpable in every creation within Nàng Gấm, where traditional Vietnamese attire is reimagined through a contemporary, editorial lens.
The Threads of Society: Class, Labor, and Femininity in Nàng Gấm
At its core, the Nàng Gấm collection explores the intricate interplay of class, labor, and femininity within Vietnamese society. The color palette is deliberately striking, employing a duality of black and yellow. Black symbolizes the working class, historically chosen for its practicality and resistance to dirt during agricultural labor. In contrast, vibrant yellows were worn by the upper classes, signifying wealth, affluence, and authority. This visual distinction also highlights the exclusive access to luxurious fabrics like silk, which were largely the preserve of the elite.
The collection meticulously incorporates iconic elements and garments from Vietnamese heritage, reflecting diverse social strata, regions, and occasions. It transitions from the formal elegance of the áo dài to more everyday silhouettes such as the áo yếm, a halterneck undergarment, and the áo bà ba, a long-sleeved blouse and pant set often associated with women in the rural Mekong Delta.
Looks 2 and 5 exemplify this thoughtful balance, reinterpreting these traditional garments with a modern sensibility while preserving the timeless, rustic, and intimate beauty characteristic of Vietnamese women. Notably, Look 5 gained significant international attention when it was featured in the music video for Lady Gaga and Doechii’s song "RUNWAY." This ensemble, featuring a skirt adorned with a lotus-leaf pattern that flares like a blooming lotus, masterfully embeds deep cultural imagery into a high-fashion context. The motif of Vietnamese femininity and resilience within the garment resonates powerfully with the song’s themes of confidence and self-expression.
Beyond clothing, Nàng Gấm reimagines traditional accessories, including the khăn mỏ quạ, a square headscarf worn by rural working women; the nón ba tầm, a flat palm hat favored by the middle to upper classes in Northern Vietnam; the mấn (or khăn đội), a ceremonial wedding headdress; and kiềng, an heirloom necklace crafted from silver or gold.
The inclusion of attire from various regions across Vietnam underscores the diversity of labor and how dress is intrinsically shaped by geography, occupation, and daily life. Nàng Gấm skillfully juxtaposes the utilitarian designs of traditional workwear with the regal silhouettes of ceremonial garb, seamlessly integrating these elements into contemporary couture compositions.
This thematic contrast is particularly evident in Look 1. The long robe draws inspiration from the áo tơi, a rain cloak traditionally made from layered palm leaves, and the áo long bào, a gold, dragon-emblazoned robe historically reserved for emperors. By intentionally merging garments from such disparate origins, Jennie highlights the complex historical narratives and social hierarchies present in Vietnamese culture.
Look 3 features a skirt whose shape echoes the form of nơm bắt cá (fish trapping baskets). The cascading yellow silk fringes evoke flowing grains of rice, a poignant visual representation of generations of agricultural labor and the sustenance it provides.
Look 4 pays homage to the ethnic minority communities inhabiting Vietnam’s mountainous regions. A dramatic asymmetrical shoulder piece emulates the contours of rolling hills and towering peaks. Carved waves across the garment are inspired by the visual rhythm of ruộng bậc thang (terraced rice fields). Worn over a backless áo yếm-inspired dress with a daring leg slit, and complemented by a wide-brimmed nón ba tầm that artfully obscures the eyes, this look exudes confidence and allure, capturing the quiet resilience often embodied by Vietnamese women.
From Concept to Creation: The Labor of Love
Look 4 also holds a special significance as the genesis of the Nàng Gấm collection. It was the very first sketch from which the entire collection evolved, and Jennie meticulously preserved the original sketch throughout the garment’s execution.
The construction of this intricate piece proved to be a significant learning experience, particularly with the handling of silk. Jennie was also committed to sourcing all silks and fabrics for the collection exclusively from Vietnam, working with limited supplies. This dedication to authenticity extended to the involvement of their family. Jennie and Austin’s parents actively sourced the necessary textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam, subsequently shipping them to Canada. This collaborative "village" approach, supported by family, local businesses, and artisans, reinforces the collection’s profound commitment to Vietnamese authenticity and craftsmanship.
During the interview, Jennie shared a piece of test fabric she had experimented with to create the distinctive grooved slashes on the shoulder piece of Look 4. The trademark yellow silk peeked from beneath black canvas, interspersed with intricate lines of embroidery, each slit and threaded pattern meticulously executed by hand. Jennie also revealed that she had deconstructed an áo dài gifted by her mother, carefully studying its layers, seams, and structural integrity to deepen her understanding of garment construction.
The painstaking level of detail infused into each piece of the Nàng Gấm collection embodies the thematic proverb that underpins its creation: khó nhọc, sung sướng sau, which translates literally to "suffer first, ease later," a Vietnamese equivalent of "no pain, no gain." This philosophy, deeply ingrained in Jennie and Austin by their parents, resonated profoundly with Jennie throughout the arduous process of assembling each garment.
This ethos of discipline and meticulous care is also reflected in Jennie’s approach to design. "As a designer, I feel like everything we do, we have to have the intention behind it," she emphasized. "I don’t want to put something in without any meaning – even down to the smallest detail like a button or a seam."
Incorporating agricultural motifs, Jennie highlighted the crucial role of hand labor in "harvesting the fruit" of her creative endeavors. Much like the fishermen, rice harvesters, weavers, and countless other hardworking Vietnamese individuals, it is this intensive labor and unwavering care that are essential to preserving delicate beauty. Through the creation of this collection, Jennie gained a profound appreciation for the labor of Vietnamese women throughout history and their vital contributions to preserving cultural and material traditions.
Nàng Gấm on the Global Stage: A New Dawn for Vietnamese Fashion
The Nàng Gấm collection represents a significant milestone for DOAN Atelier, marking their burgeoning presence in the fashion industry amidst the demanding rhythms of academic pursuits, professional careers, and personal lives. Jennie and Austin are strategically focused on solidifying their position within the industry by fostering connections with fellow creatives and expanding their team.
Deeply inspired by the pioneering Vietnamese designers who have paved the way and their contemporary industry peers, the siblings aspire to join them in claiming a prominent space on the global stage, showcasing a blossoming vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and presentation of Nàng Gấm, Jennie and Austin observed a consistent reaction of impressed surprise from many regarding the quality of the silk, often eliciting the question, "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" They acknowledged their initial astonishment at this sentiment, noting that such exquisite silk is readily accessible in Vietnam, for example, at Bến Thành Market. However, its rich heritage and abundant availability remain largely unknown to the global fashion community.
As one of the world’s largest exporters of textiles, Vietnam plays a pivotal role in the global fashion supply chain. Yet, its long-standing legacy of intricate craftsmanship has historically remained underrecognized. While recent years have seen a surge in the popularity of Hôi An tailors among tourists on social media, for many Vietnamese people, tailoring culture has always been an integral part of daily life, with shops a common sight in every neighborhood.
Reflecting on their aspirations for both Vietnamese and international audiences to appreciate 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 develop their future bodies of work, DOAN Atelier remains committed to building upon the foundational principles established by Nàng Gấm, adeptly translating heritage into modern reinterpretations. The brand consistently strives to position Vietnam not merely as a manufacturing hub but as a leading center of emerging creative talent, deeply rooted in rich craftsmanship, cultural memory, and innovation.
At the very heart of DOAN Atelier lies an enduring tribute to Vietnamese women, past and present. Their strength, resilience, and labor continue to shape the very fabric of each meticulously crafted piece.
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