By Neng Nana 
In an era of burgeoning global recognition for Vietnamese artistry, a new wave of designers is carving out significant space in the international fashion landscape. Among them, DOAN Atelier stands out, a brand where the threads of history are meticulously woven into the fabric of contemporary design. Their latest collection, Nàng Gấm, or Folklore of the Silk Lady, is a profound exploration of traditional Vietnamese heritage, celebrating the enduring beauty and strength of Vietnamese women through the ages, imbued with a vision of the regality inherent in labor.
Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a distinguished alumna of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program, unveiled her graduate collection last spring. The showcase featured a series of innovative and bold looks that not only pushed creative boundaries but also served as a powerful testament to Vietnamese tradition. This groundbreaking collection garnered Jennie a prestigious nomination at the recent Canada Arts and Fashion Awards for the Fashion Design Student Award, a recognition that underscores the growing influence of emerging Vietnamese talent on the global stage.
EnVi had the opportunity to connect with the creative forces behind DOAN Atelier, sibling duo Jennie and Austin Doan, for an in-depth discussion via Zoom. The conversation delved into their familial roots, the genesis of their brand, and the rich tapestry of lore that underpins the Nàng Gấm collection.
The Sibling Architects of DOAN Atelier
The synergy between Jennie and Austin Doan is palpable, a testament to their familial bond that naturally extends into their collaborative creative process. Jennie, the visionary designer, meticulously articulates and constructs each garment, imbuing them with conceptual depth and structural integrity. Austin, as the creative director, shapes the collection’s narrative through extensive research and the evocative staging of editorial photoshoots.
Hailing from Vietnam, the siblings were immersed in a family deeply rooted in the arts, with a lineage spanning three generations of musicians and dancers. Jennie’s background in ballet and Austin’s studies in traditional music provided them with a unique artistic vocabulary. Upon relocating to Toronto for their higher education, they sought to forge new paths within the artistic realm. Austin expanded his creative scope to encompass visual mediums, producing music videos, short films, and documentaries, while Jennie discovered her calling in the transformative 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 remarked. "We’re both performers ourselves, and so we have that kind of connection to costume design."
Jennie’s years of dance rehearsals, witnessing the spectacle of glamorous costumes and the intricate craftsmanship behind theatrical productions, revealed a profound connection between stage costuming and haute couture. In dance, where movement and the human form serve as the primary language, costume structure plays a pivotal role. Jennie applies this principle to her designs, believing it to be the foundational element of DOAN Atelier. "Garments have to move a certain way and be seen a certain way," she explained, highlighting the inherent dynamism she seeks to imbue in her creations.
Unearthing the Folklore: The Inspiration Behind Nàng Gấm
Drawing from a rich heritage of classical art forms and generational knowledge of craft, Jennie and Austin turned their gaze inward, exploring the traditional Vietnamese arts that formed the bedrock of their upbringing. The collection’s title, Folklore of the Silk Lady, directly references the legends, myths, and tales that shaped their childhood. Jennie found particular inspiration in the histories of Vietnamese heroines, from the formidable Trưng sisters, who led a rebellion in the 1st century, to resilient maidens featured in fairytales like Tấm and Cám, often dubbed the Vietnamese Cinderella. Alongside the personal narratives shared by her grandparents and parents about their past, Jennie aimed to pay homage to the custodians of folklore: the women who carry history 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 involved a meticulous examination of regional variations and their evolution over time.
The extensive research into the evolution of Vietnamese womenswear was a cornerstone of the collection, with Austin leveraging his experience in documentary filmmaking to guide the process. Jennie noted that a significant challenge was maintaining historical accuracy while allowing for creative reinterpretation, a delicate balance that defines the collection’s unique aesthetic.
Silk, Vietnam’s most iconic and traditionally significant fabric, takes center stage in Nàng Gấm. The collection prominently features gấm (heavy silk) and lụa (mulberry silk), celebrating their luxurious texture and cultural resonance. "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 muse is evident in every piece of Nàng Gấm, which reimagines traditional Vietnamese attire through a contemporary, editorial lens.
The Narrative Threads of Nàng Gấm
At its core, Nàng Gấm explores the complex interplay of class, labor, and femininity within Vietnamese society. The collection’s striking color palette employs a duality of black and yellow, symbolizing the working class and nobility, respectively. Black was historically favored by rural laborers for its practicality in masking dirt during agricultural work, while vibrant yellows were reserved for the upper classes, signifying wealth, affluence, and authority. The privilege of wearing silk, a luxurious fabric accessible only to those of higher social and economic standing, further distinguished these groups.
The collection masterfully integrates iconic elements and garments from Vietnamese heritage, spanning various social classes, regions, and occasions. It moves seamlessly from the formal elegance of the áo dài to more intimate, everyday silhouettes such as the áo yếm, a halterneck undergarment, and the áo bà ba, a long-sleeved blouse and pant ensemble associated with women in the Mekong Delta.
Looks 2 and 5 exemplify this sophisticated balance, reinterpreting traditional garments with a modern sensibility while preserving the timeless, rustic, and intimate beauty characteristic of Vietnamese women. Notably, Look 5 gained international acclaim when it was featured in Lady Gaga and Doechii’s music video for "RUNWAY." The ensemble, featuring a lotus-leaf patterned skirt that unfurls like a blooming lotus, embeds profound cultural imagery within a high-fashion context, aligning the motif of Vietnamese femininity and resilience with the song’s theme of empowerment.
Beyond clothing, the collection 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 middle to upper-class Northerners; the mấn (or khăn đống), a ceremonial wedding headdress; and the kiềng, a silver or gold necklace often passed down as a cherished heirloom.
The inclusion of attire from diverse regions of Vietnam underscores the varied nature of labor and how dress is intrinsically shaped by geography, occupation, and daily life. Nàng Gấm artfully blends the utilitarian design of workwear with the regal silhouettes of ceremonial garments, intertwining them into contemporary couture compositions. This deliberate contrast is particularly striking in Look 1, where a long robe draws inspiration from the áo tơi, a rain cloak fashioned from layered palm leaves, and the áo long bào, a gold robe adorned with dragon motifs traditionally worn by emperors. This intentional juxtaposition of garments from vastly different origins creates a powerful visual dialogue.
Look 3’s skirt silhouette mirrors the shape of nơm bắt cá (fish trapping baskets), while cascading yellow silk fringes evoke flowing grains of rice, conjuring imagery of generations of agricultural labor and sustenance.
Look 4 pays homage to ethnic minority communities inhabiting Vietnam’s mountainous regions. A dramatic asymmetrical shoulder piece emulates rolling hills and towering peaks, while carved waves on the garment suggest the movement of ruộng bậc thang (terraced rice fields). This ensemble, worn over a backless áo yếm-inspired dress with a daring leg slit and a wide-brimmed nón ba tầm that partially veils the eyes, projects an aura of confidence and allure, capturing the quiet resilience of Vietnamese women.
From Sketch to Silhouette: The Art of Creation
Look 4 also marks the genesis of the Nàng Gấm collection, representing the first sketch from which the entire concept evolved. This initial design was meticulously brought to life, with the original sketch preserved throughout its execution. The construction of this piece presented a significant learning curve for Jennie, particularly in mastering the handling of silk. Compounding the challenge was the finite supply of material, leading to a deliberate sourcing of all silks and fabrics for the collection from Vietnam itself.
The Doan family played an integral role in the collection’s development. Jennie and Austin’s parents procured the necessary textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam, subsequently shipping them to Canada. This familial support, coupled with the contributions of local businesses and artisans, fostered an "it takes a village" approach, reinforcing the collection’s commitment to Vietnamese authenticity and craftsmanship.
During their conversation with EnVi, Jennie shared a piece of test fabric used to create the grooved slashes on the shoulder piece of Look 4. The design featured the signature yellow silk peeking from beneath black canvas, with intricate hand-embroidered lines. Each slit and threaded pattern was a testament to painstaking manual labor. Jennie revealed that she had dissected an áo dài provided by her mother, meticulously studying its layers, seams, and construction to gain a deeper understanding of garment assembly.
The profound level of detail invested in each piece embodies the thematic proverb of Nàng Gấm: khó nhọc, sung sướng sau, which translates literally to "suffer first, ease later," the Vietnamese equivalent of "no pain, no gain." This adage, deeply ingrained in Jennie and Austin by their parents, resonated particularly with Jennie as she painstakingly assembled 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."
Embracing agricultural motifs throughout the collection, Jennie underscored the importance of hand labor in "harvesting the fruit" of her work. Much like the fishermen, rice harvesters, weavers, and countless hardworking Vietnamese individuals, the intensive labor and care invested in the creation process are essential for preserving delicate beauty. Through the making of Nàng Gấm, Jennie developed 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
The unveiling of Nàng Gấm marks a significant milestone for DOAN Atelier, signaling their emergence onto the international fashion scene. As Jennie and Austin navigate the demanding rhythms of school, work, and life, they are focused on solidifying their presence in the fashion industry. Their immediate goals include further familiarizing themselves with the industry’s intricacies, fostering connections with fellow creatives, and expanding their team.
Deeply inspired by the trailblazing Vietnamese designers who preceded them and their contemporary peers, the siblings aspire to join them in occupying a prominent space on the global stage, representing a burgeoning vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and showcase of Nàng Gấm, Jennie and Austin observed a common reaction from international audiences impressed by the quality of the silk, often exclaiming, "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" They expressed surprise at this sentiment, 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 largest textile exporters, Vietnam plays a monumental role in the global fashion supply chain. However, its rich legacy of craftsmanship has remained largely underrecognized. While the viral social media presence of Hội An tailors catering to tourists has brought some attention, for Vietnamese people, tailoring culture has long been an integral part of daily life, with shops woven into the fabric of every community.
Reflecting on their aspirations for both Vietnamese and international audiences, 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 continue to evolve their creative vision, DOAN Atelier remains committed to building upon the foundation laid by Nàng Gấm, translating heritage into modern reinterpretations. The brand consistently positions Vietnam not merely as a hub of production but as a vanguard of emerging creative talent, imbued with rich craftsmanship, cultural memory, and innovation.
At the heart of DOAN Atelier lies an enduring tribute to Vietnamese women, past and present, whose strength, resilience, and labor continue to shape the very fabric of each meticulously crafted piece.
