By Ammar Sabilarrohman 
In an era marked by the burgeoning global visibility of Vietnamese creative talent, a new cohort of designers is steadily carving out significant recognition within the international fashion landscape. Among these emerging voices is DOAN Atelier, a brand whose ethos is deeply intertwined with the preservation of history and the pioneering of future aesthetics. Their collection, "Nàng Gấm" (Folklore of the Silk Lady), stands as a testament to this philosophy, drawing inspiration from traditions passed down through generations to celebrate the enduring beauty and strength of Vietnamese women throughout history, envisioning a new paradigm of the regality of labor.
Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a distinguished alumna of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program, unveiled her graduate collection last spring. This showcase featured an array of innovative and bold designs that artfully uphold Vietnamese traditions. The collection’s distinctiveness and artistic merit did not go unnoticed; it earned Jennie a prestigious nomination at the recent Canada Arts and Fashion Awards for the Fashion Design Student Award. This recognition underscores the growing impact of young Vietnamese designers on the global stage.
EnVi had the opportunity to engage in a virtual conversation with the creative minds behind DOAN Atelier: the sibling duo Jennie and Austin Doan. During this interview, conducted via Zoom, they delved into their familial roots, the genesis of their brand, and the rich lore that underpins their captivating collection, "Nàng Gấm."
The Sibling Architects of DOAN Atelier
The collaboration between Jennie and Austin Doan is a natural extension of their sibling bond, seamlessly translating into their shared artistic endeavors. Jennie spearheads the design process, meticulously articulating and constructing each garment. Complementing her vision, Austin serves as the creative director, shaping the overall narrative of the collection through in-depth research and evocative editorial photoshoots.
Hailing from Vietnam, the siblings are products of a family deeply embedded in the arts, with a lineage spanning three generations of musicians and dancers. Jennie herself boasts a background in ballet, while Austin cultivated his talents in traditional music. Their relocation to Toronto for their studies marked a pivotal moment, prompting them to explore new artistic avenues. Austin broadened his scope to encompass visual mediums, venturing into the production of music videos, short films, and documentaries. Jennie, meanwhile, discovered her calling in the realm 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 remarked. "We’re both performers ourselves, and so we have that kind of connection to costume design." This innate understanding of performance and its visual elements has undoubtedly informed their approach to fashion.
Jennie’s extensive experience in dance rehearsals exposed her to a world of glamorous costumes and the intricate craftsmanship behind theatrical productions. She observed a profound overlap between the demands of theatrical costuming and the principles of haute couture. In dance, where movement and the human body serve as the primary language, costume structure is paramount. Jennie has ingeniously translated this principle into her designs, asserting that it forms the very core of DOAN Atelier’s aesthetic: "Garments have to move a certain way and be seen a certain way." This emphasis on the dynamic interplay between fabric, form, and the wearer imbues their creations with a unique sense of life and purpose.
Roots and Reverence: The Inspiration Behind "Nàng Gấm"
Drawing from a rich heritage of classical art forms and the generational inheritance of craft, Jennie and Austin turned their gaze towards traditional Vietnamese arts, beginning with the timeless stories 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 throughout their formative years. Jennie found particular inspiration in the narratives of heroic women, from the Trung sisters, formidable 1st-century military commanders who led significant rebellions against Chinese rule, to resilient maidens featured in fairy tales like "Tấm and Cám," often dubbed the Vietnamese Cinderella. Beyond these storied figures, Jennie also sought to honor the women who, through their personal histories and lived experiences, act as the custodians of folklore, carrying cultural narratives 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 involved an extensive exploration of Vietnamese garments, examining their regional variations and their evolution across different historical periods. This dedication to historical accuracy, coupled with a creative reinterpretation, formed the bedrock of the collection.
Austin, with his background in documentary filmmaking, played a crucial role in this extensive research phase, meticulously documenting the evolution of Vietnamese womenswear. Jennie acknowledged that a significant challenge lay in balancing historical fidelity with the creative liberty required for contemporary reinterpretation.
Central to "Nàng Gấm" is the prominence of silk, Vietnam’s most historically significant and widely produced fabric. The collection specifically highlights gấm (heavy silk) and lụa (mulberry silk). "When she first pitched this idea, it very much felt like a love letter to silk," Austin shared. "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 wearers is palpable in every piece within the collection, where traditional Vietnamese attire is reimagined through a modern, editorial lens.
The Narrative Woven into "Nàng Gấm"
At its conceptual core, "Nàng Gấm" explores the intricate interplay of class, labor, and femininity within Vietnamese society. The collection’s striking color palette embodies a duality: black represents the working class, while yellow signifies nobility. Historically, black was the preferred hue for rural laborers, as its darker tones were more forgiving of dirt and grime accumulated during agricultural work. Conversely, the upper classes adorned themselves in vibrant yellows, a color symbolizing wealth, affluence, and authority. This distinction was further amplified by the privilege of wearing silk, a luxurious fabric accessible only to those of a certain social and economic standing.
The collection thoughtfully integrates iconic elements and garments from Vietnamese heritage, reflecting diverse social classes, regions, and occasions. It transitions seamlessly from the formal elegance of the áo dài to more everyday silhouettes like the áo yếm, a halterneck undergarment, and the áo bà ba, a long-sleeved blouse and pant ensemble traditionally associated with women in the Mekong Delta.
Looks 2 and 5 exemplify this masterful balance, reinterpreting traditional garments with a contemporary 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 lotus-leaf patterned skirt that unfurls like a blooming lotus, artfully embeds profound cultural imagery within a high-fashion context. It powerfully aligns the motif of Vietnamese femininity and resilience with the song’s theme of empowerment and self-expression.
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 the middle and upper classes in Northern Vietnam; the mấn (or khăn đống), a ceremonial wedding headdress; and kiềng, an heirloom necklace crafted from silver or gold.
The deliberate inclusion of attire from various regions of Vietnam serves to highlight the diversity of labor and how dress is intrinsically shaped by place, occupation, and daily life. "Nàng Gấm" adeptly synthesizes the utilitarian designs of workwear with the regal silhouettes of ceremonial garments, weaving them together into contemporary couture compositions.
This fascinating juxtaposition is particularly evident in Look 1. This ensemble features a long robe that draws inspiration from the áo tơi, a rain cloak traditionally made from layered palm leaves. It is intentionally paired with elements of the áo long bào, a gold, dragon-emblazoned robe historically reserved for emperors. This deliberate fusion of garments from vastly different origins creates a powerful visual dialogue between the humble and the imperial.
The silhouette of the skirt in Look 3 echoes the form of nơm bắt cá (fish trapping baskets), while cascading yellow silk fringes evoke flowing grains of rice. This imagery powerfully references generations of agricultural labor and the sustenance it provided, a cornerstone of Vietnamese life.
Look 4 pays homage to the ethnic minority communities inhabiting Vietnam’s mountainous regions. Its dramatic, asymmetrical shoulder piece emulates the contours of rolling hills and towering peaks. Intricately 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 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 yet formidable resilience of Vietnamese women.
From Initial Sketch to Finished Silhouette: The Craftsmanship Unveiled
Look 4 holds a special significance as it marks the genesis of "Nàng Gấm," being the very first sketch from which the entire collection evolved. This initial design was meticulously brought to life, with the original sketch preserved as a testament to its foundational role.
The construction of this piece presented a significant learning curve for Jennie, particularly concerning the handling of silk, a notoriously delicate fabric. Furthermore, she was committed to using a finite supply of materials, ensuring that all silks and fabrics for the collection were sourced directly from Vietnam. The Doan family played an instrumental role in the collection’s development; their parents diligently procured the necessary textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam before shipping them to Canada. This collaborative effort, supported by family, local businesses, and artisans, embodies a true "it takes a village" approach, reinforcing the collection’s unwavering commitment to Vietnamese authenticity and artisanal craftsmanship.
During the interview, Jennie shared a piece of test fabric that she had experimented on to achieve the distinctive grooved slashes in the shoulder piece of Look 4. Here, the signature yellow silk peeked out from beneath layers of black canvas, adorned with intricate embroidery. Each slit and threaded pattern was painstakingly executed by hand. Jennie revealed that she had deconstructed an áo dài gifted by her mother, meticulously studying its layers, seams, and structure to gain a deeper understanding of its assembly.
The profound level of detail invested in each piece powerfully embodies the thematic proverb of "Nàng Gấm": khó nhọc, sống sau, which translates literally to "suffer first, ease later," the Vietnamese equivalent of "no pain, no gain." This philosophy, deeply ingrained in Jennie and Austin by their parents, resonated particularly with Jennie throughout the arduous process of assembling each garment.
This philosophy of discipline and meticulous care is mirrored in Jennie’s overarching 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."
Incorporating agricultural motifs into the collection, Jennie emphasized the vital role of manual labor in "harvesting the fruit" of her creative endeavors. Much like the fishermen, rice harvesters, weavers, and countless hardworking Vietnamese individuals, it is precisely this intensive labor and unwavering care that are essential for preserving delicate beauty. Through the creation of this collection, Jennie cultivated a deeper 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
"Nàng Gấm" represents just the beginning for DOAN Atelier. Jennie and Austin are actively working to solidify their presence in the fashion industry amidst the demanding rhythms of academic pursuits, professional careers, and personal lives. Their immediate goals include further familiarizing themselves with the industry’s intricacies, fostering connections with fellow creative minds, and building a robust team.
Deeply inspired by the Vietnamese designers who have paved the way and their contemporary industry peers, the siblings aspire to join their ranks, occupying a prominent space on the global stage to champion a burgeoning vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and showcase of "Nàng Gấm," Jennie and Austin observed a recurring theme: many were impressed by the quality of the silk, often exclaiming, "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" This sentiment initially surprised the duo, 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 rich legacy of craftsmanship has historically remained largely unrecognized. While Hoi An tailors have recently gained viral traction on social media among tourists, for many Vietnamese people, tailoring culture has always been an integral part of daily life, with shops conveniently located on nearly every corner.
When reflecting on what they hope both Vietnamese and international audiences will take away from their future work, Austin shared, "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 steadfast in building upon the foundational principles of "Nàng Gấm," consistently translating heritage into modern reinterpretations. The brand persistently positions Vietnam not merely as a locus of production, but as a vibrant hub of emerging creative talent, steeped in rich craftsmanship, cultural memory, and innovation.
At the very heart 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.
