In an era marked by the burgeoning global recognition of Vietnamese creative talent, a new wave of designers is making significant inroads into the international fashion landscape. Among them, DOAN Atelier stands out for its profound commitment to honoring ancestral traditions while boldly embracing the future. Their latest collection, Nàng Gấm, translated as Folklore of the Silk Lady, is a testament to this philosophy, intricately weaving together generational knowledge and a forward-looking vision. Inspired by the rich tapestry of Vietnamese traditions passed down through generations, Nàng Gấm celebrates the enduring beauty and strength of Vietnamese women throughout history, framing their labor and artistry with a regal perspective.
The genesis of this impactful collection can be traced to Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program. Her distinctive graduate collection, unveiled last spring, garnered significant attention for its innovative and striking designs that thoughtfully uphold Vietnamese heritage. This collection not only showcased Jennie’s design prowess but also earned her a prestigious nomination at the recent Canada Arts and Fashion Awards for the Fashion Design Student Award.
A recent conversation with EnVi over Zoom offered an intimate glimpse into the minds behind DOAN Atelier, featuring the sibling duo Jennie and Austin Doan. They delved into their personal roots, the foundational principles of their brand, and the evocative lore that underpins the Nàng Gấm collection.
The Duo Behind DOAN Atelier: A Harmonious Collaboration
As siblings and creative partners, Jennie and Austin Doan’s familial bond naturally translates into a dynamic and synergistic collaboration. Jennie takes the lead in the design process, meticulously articulating and constructing each garment. Austin, serving as the creative director, shapes the overarching vision of the collection through in-depth research and sophisticated editorial photoshoots.
Hailing from Vietnam, the Doan siblings are steeped in a family tradition deeply rooted in the arts, boasting three generations of accomplished musicians and dancers. Jennie’s early life was marked by her dedication to ballet, while Austin pursued studies in traditional music. Upon relocating to Toronto for their higher education, they felt a compelling urge to explore new artistic avenues. Austin broadened his artistic scope to include visual mediums, venturing into music video production, short films, and documentaries. Jennie, meanwhile, 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 shared. "We’re both performers ourselves, and so we have that kind of connection to costume design."
Jennie’s extensive experience with dance rehearsals, witnessing the spectacle of glamorous costumes, and appreciating the meticulous craftsmanship behind stage productions, revealed a profound connection between theatrical costuming and haute couture. In the realm of dance, where movement and the human form serve as the primary language, costumes are designed with a strong emphasis on structure. Jennie applies this fundamental principle to her own 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 explained.
Tracing Roots: Inspiration from Vietnamese Folklore and Heritage
Drawing from a family legacy steeped in classical art forms and the generational inheritance of craft, Jennie and Austin turned their gaze towards traditional Vietnamese arts. Their inspiration was deeply rooted in the stories and legends that had been a part of their upbringing. The collection’s title, Folklore of the Silk Lady, directly references the myths, legends, and tales that shaped their childhood. Jennie found particular inspiration in the histories of Vietnamese heroines, from the legendary Trưng sisters, who led formidable rebellions in the 1st century, to resilient maidens depicted in fairytales like Tấm and Cám, often referred to as the Vietnamese Cinderella. Beyond these iconic figures, Jennie also drew inspiration from personal narratives shared by her grandparents and parents about their past and lives, seeking to pay homage to the women who are the keepers of folklore and the conduits of history.
"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 delved into the nuances of Vietnamese garments, exploring regional variations and their evolution over time.
The extensive research into the evolution of Vietnamese womenswear was a crucial component of the collection’s development, with Austin leveraging his experience in documentary filmmaking to guide this aspect. Jennie highlighted a primary challenge: maintaining historical accuracy while allowing for creative reinterpretation.
Silk, Vietnam’s most historically significant and widely produced fabric, takes center stage in Nàng Gấm. The collection specifically features gấm (heavy silk) and lụa (mulberry silk), two exquisite variants. "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 muse is palpable in every piece of Nàng Gấm, which reimagines traditional Vietnamese attire through a contemporary, editorial lens.
The Lore Behind Nàng Gấm: A Tapestry of Class, Labor, and Femininity
At its core, Nàng Gấm explores the intricate interplay of class, labor, and femininity within Vietnamese society. The collection’s striking color palette embraces 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 masking dirt during agricultural work. Conversely, the upper echelons of society adorned themselves in vibrant yellows, a hue synonymous with wealth, affluence, and authority. This distinction was further amplified by the exclusive access the nobility had to silk, a luxurious fabric reserved for those of their social and economic standing.
The collection showcases a diverse array of iconic garments and elements from Vietnamese heritage, reflecting different social classes, regions, and occasions. These range from the formal elegance of the áo dài to the more intimate silhouettes of everyday wear like the áo yếm, a halterneck undergarment, and the áo bà ba, a long-sleeved blouse and pant ensemble commonly associated with women in the rural Mekong Delta.
Looks 2 and 5, for instance, exemplify this delicate balance, reinterpreting these traditional garments with a modern sensibility while preserving the timeless, rustic, and intimate beauty characteristic of Vietnamese women. Notably, Look 5 was featured in the music video for Lady Gaga and Doechii’s song "RUNWAY." This ensemble, with its lotus-leaf patterned skirt that flares like a blooming lotus, masterfully embeds deep cultural imagery into a high-fashion context. It aligns the motif of Vietnamese femininity and resilience with the song’s empowering theme of confidence.
Beyond the primary garments, the collection thoughtfully incorporates reimagined accessories such as 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 kiềng, a silver or gold necklace often passed down as a cherished heirloom.
The deliberate inclusion of attire from various regions of Vietnam underscores the diversity of labor and how dress is intrinsically shaped by place, work, and daily life. Nàng Gấm seamlessly merges the utilitarian design of workwear with the regal silhouettes of ceremonial garb, intertwining them into contemporary couture compositions. This juxtaposition is particularly evident in Look 1, where a long robe draws inspiration from the áo tơi, a rain cloak crafted from layered palm leaves, and the áo long bào, a gold, dragon-emblazoned robe historically reserved for emperors, thereby intentionally merging garments from vastly different origins.
Look 3’s skirt silhouette evokes the shape of nơm bắt cá (fish trapping baskets), while cascading yellow silk fringes mimic flowing grains of rice, conjuring imagery of generations of agricultural labor and sustenance.
Look 4 pays homage to the ethnic minority communities residing in Vietnam’s mountainous regions. Its 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 with a bold leg slit, and a wide-brimmed nón ba tầm that partially veils the eyes, this look exudes confidence and allure, capturing the quiet resilience of Vietnamese women.
From Sketch to Silhouette: The Labor of Love
Look 4 also signifies the genesis of the Nàng Gấm collection, representing the initial sketch from which the entire concept blossomed. It was the very first design brought to life from Jennie’s original vision, with the initial sketch meticulously preserved throughout its execution.
The construction of this piece proved to be a significant learning curve, with Jennie testifying to the demanding nature of working with silk. Compounding this challenge was the finite supply of material. Jennie made a conscious effort to source all silks and fabrics for the collection directly from Vietnam, reinforcing the collection’s commitment to authenticity. The Doan siblings’ family played an integral role in the collection’s development, with their parents sourcing the necessary textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam before shipping them to Canada. This collaborative effort, supported by their family, local businesses, and artisans, embodies a profound "it takes a village" approach, underscoring the collection’s dedication to Vietnamese authenticity and craftsmanship.
During the Zoom 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 signature yellow silk peeked through from beneath black canvas, adorned with intricate lines of embroidery, each slit and threaded pattern meticulously executed by hand. Jennie revealed that she had painstakingly dissected an áo dài gifted by her mother, meticulously studying its layers, seams, and structure to gain a deeper understanding of its assembly.
The painstaking level of detail infused into each piece authentically embodies the thematic proverb of Nàng Gấm: khó nhọc, sung sướng sau, which translates literally to "suffer first, ease later," akin to the Western adage "no pain, no gain." This is a philosophy that Jennie and Austin’s parents have deeply ingrained in them, and it was particularly felt by Jennie as she painstakingly assembled each garment.
This philosophy of discipline and meticulous care is mirrored in Jennie’s approach to design. "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."
Embracing agricultural motifs within the collection, Jennie underscored the critical importance of manual 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 care that is essential for preserving delicate beauty. Through the creation of this collection, Jennie gained a profound appreciation for the labor of Vietnamese women throughout history and their invaluable contributions to preserving cultural and material traditions.
Nàng Gấm on the Global Stage
The Nàng Gấm collection represents a significant milestone for DOAN Atelier, marking a pivotal moment as Jennie and Austin strive to solidify their presence in the fashion industry amidst the demanding rhythms of academic pursuits, professional careers, and personal lives. The duo is focused on deepening their understanding of the industry, fostering connections with fellow creatives, and strategically building their team.
Deeply inspired by the pioneering Vietnamese designers who paved the way and their contemporary peers, the siblings aspire to join them in occupying a prominent space on the global stage, collectively representing a blossoming vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and showcase of Nàng Gấm, Jennie and Austin observed that many were deeply impressed by the quality of the silk, often exclaiming, "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" This sentiment initially surprised them, as they noted, "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 largest exporters of textiles, Vietnam plays a monumental role in the global fashion supply chain. However, its long legacy of intricate craftsmanship has historically remained underrecognized. Only recently have the renowned Hôi An tailors gained viral traction on social media among tourists, yet for Vietnamese people, tailoring culture has always been an integral part of daily life, with shops lining every corner.
Reflecting on their aspirations for both Vietnamese and international audiences to glean from their future endeavors, Austin shared with EnVi, "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 embark on their future bodies of work, DOAN Atelier continues to build upon the robust foundation laid by Nàng Gấm, translating heritage into modern reimagining. The brand remains steadfast in its mission to position Vietnam not merely as a hub of production but as a vanguard of emerging creative talent, a land rich in craftsmanship, cultural memory, and innovation.
At the very heart of DOAN Atelier lies an enduring tribute to Vietnamese women, from past to present, whose strength, resilience, and labor continue to shape the very fabric of each meticulously crafted piece.