By Nana 
In an era marked by a burgeoning global spotlight on Vietnamese creative talent, a new generation of designers is steadily carving out a significant presence in the international fashion arena. Among these rising stars is DOAN Atelier, a fashion house where the intricate art of honoring history is as fundamental to its creations as the threads themselves. Their latest collection, "Nàng Gấm" or "Folklore of the Silk Lady," stands as a profound testament to this ethos, drawing inspiration from traditions passed down through generations. This collection is a vibrant celebration of the enduring beauty and strength of Vietnamese women throughout history, envisioned through the lens of the regality inherent in their labor.
Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a distinguished graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program, unveiled her ambitious graduate collection last spring. The showcase featured a series of innovative and bold designs that not only pushed aesthetic boundaries but also meticulously upheld 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 significant recognition of her burgeoning talent and the collection’s cultural resonance.
EnVi had the distinct opportunity to connect with the creative minds behind DOAN Atelier, the sibling duo Jennie and Austin Doan, via Zoom. Their conversation offered an intimate glimpse into their personal journeys, the genesis of their brand, and the rich tapestry of lore that underpins the "Nàng Gấm" collection.
The Siblings Behind the Seams: A Legacy of Artistry
The collaborative spirit of Jennie and Austin Doan is a natural extension of their sibling bond, seamlessly translating into their shared creative endeavors. Jennie, the driving force behind the design process, meticulously articulates and constructs each garment, breathing life into her visions. Austin, in his role as creative director, meticulously shapes the collection’s narrative through in-depth research and compelling editorial photoshoots.
Hailing from Vietnam, the siblings are rooted in a family deeply immersed in the arts, with a lineage spanning three generations of accomplished musicians and dancers. Jennie’s early years were marked by ballet training, while Austin pursued traditional music. Their relocation to Toronto for their studies provided an impetus to explore new artistic avenues. Austin expanded his creative repertoire 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 shared. "We’re both performers ourselves, and so we have that kind of connection to costume design."
Years spent in dance rehearsals, surrounded by the glamour of theatrical costumes and witnessing the meticulous craftsmanship behind stage productions, provided Jennie with a profound understanding of the parallels between theatrical costuming and haute couture. In dance, where movement and the human form serve as primary languages, costumes are designed with a strong emphasis on structure. Jennie has adeptly applied this principle to her own 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.
Unearthing Heritage: The Inspiration Behind "Nàng Gấm"
Drawing from a family legacy steeped in classical art forms and the generational inheritance of craft, Jennie and Austin turned their gaze toward traditional Vietnamese arts, beginning with the stories that had been a part of their upbringing. The collection’s title, "Folklore of the Silk Lady," directly references the legends, myths, and tales that the siblings grew up hearing. Jennie found particular inspiration in the histories of Vietnamese heroines, from the formidable Trưng sisters, 1st-century military commanders who led significant rebellions against Chinese rule, to resilient maidens featured in fairytales like "Tấm and Cám," often referred to as the Vietnamese Cinderella. Coupled with the personal narratives and ancestral stories shared by her grandparents and parents, Jennie sought to pay homage to the custodians of folklore: the women who tirelessly 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 delved into the nuances of Vietnamese garments, exploring regional variations and their evolution over time.
The meticulous research into the evolution of Vietnamese womenswear was a cornerstone of the collection’s development, a process spearheaded by Austin, leveraging his experience in documentary filmmaking. 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 as the defining material in "Nàng Gấm." The collection specifically features "gấm" (heavy silk) and "lụa" (mulberry silk). "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 muses is palpable in every piece of "Nàng Gấm," reinterpreting traditional Vietnamese attire through a contemporary, editorial sensibility.
The Narrative Woven Within: Exploring the Lore of "Nàng Gấm"
At its core, "Nàng Gấm" explores the intricate interplay of class, labor, and femininity. The collection’s striking color palette embraces a duality of black and yellow, representing the working class and nobility, respectively. Black was traditionally favored by rural laborers due to its dirt-resistant properties during agricultural work, while the upper classes adorned themselves in vibrant yellows, symbolizing wealth, affluence, and authority. The latter also held the privilege of wearing silk, a luxurious fabric accessible only to those of their social and economic standing.
The collection showcases a diverse array of iconic Vietnamese garments and accessories, drawing from various social classes, regions, and occasions. It moves 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 commonly associated with rural women in the Mekong Delta.
Looks 2 and 5 exemplify this nuanced balance, reinterpreting these traditional garments with a modern aesthetic while preserving the timeless, rustic, and intimate beauty associated with Vietnamese women. Notably, Look 5 gained significant international exposure 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 flares dramatically, evoking the image of 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 powerful theme of confidence.
The collection also 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 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 different 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 garments, weaving them into contemporary couture compositions.
This striking contrast is particularly evident in Look 1. The long robe draws inspiration from the "áo tễ," a rain cloak traditionally crafted from layered palm leaves, and the "áo long bào," a gold, dragon-emblazoned robe historically reserved for 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, symbolizing 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 undulating 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 daring leg slit, and complemented by a wide-brimmed "nón ba tầm" that artfully curtains the eyes, this ensemble exudes confidence and allure, capturing the quiet resilience of Vietnamese women.
From Conception to Couture: The Craftsmanship of DOAN Atelier
Look 4 also holds a significant place in the collection’s narrative as it marks the genesis of "Nàng Gấm" – the initial sketch from which the entire collection began to take shape. It was the very first design brought to life from Jennie’s original concept, with the initial sketch remarkably preserved throughout its execution.
The construction of this intricate piece proved to be a significant learning curve, with Jennie testifying to the challenges of working with silk. Moreover, she was committed to using a finite supply of materials, ensuring all silks and fabrics for the collection were sourced directly from Vietnam. The Doan siblings’ family played an instrumental role in the collection’s development, with their parents diligently sourcing the needed textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam before shipping them to Canada. This familial support, alongside contributions from local businesses and artisans, fostered an "it takes a village" approach, reinforcing the collection’s unwavering 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 signature yellow silk peeked from beneath black canvas, adorned with intricate lines of embroidery – each slit and threaded pattern meticulously crafted by hand. Jennie revealed that she had meticulously dissected an "áo dài" provided by her mother, studying its layers, seams, and structure to gain a deeper understanding of its assembly.
The painstaking level of detail infused into each piece truly embodied 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 is a maxim 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 echoed 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 throughout the collection, Jennie emphasized the importance of hand labor in order to "harvest the fruit" of her work. Much like the fishermen, rice harvesters, weavers, and all hardworking Vietnamese individuals, it is precisely this intensive labor and profound care that is 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 invaluable contributions in preserving cultural and material traditions.
"Nàng Gấm" on the Global Stage: A Future Unfolding
This collection represents just the beginning for DOAN Atelier, as Jennie and Austin navigate the dynamic fashion industry amidst the demanding rhythms of school, work, and personal lives. The siblings are focused on solidifying their presence within the industry, cultivating connections with fellow creatives, and strategically building their team.
Deeply inspired by the pioneering Vietnamese designers who have paved the way and their contemporary peers, the siblings aspire to join them in claiming a prominent space on the global stage, representing a blossoming vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and showcase of "Nàng Gấm," Jennie and Austin observed that many were notably impressed by the quality of the silk, often expressing surprise with remarks like, "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" They were initially taken aback by this sentiment, recognizing that "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 remains largely underrecognized. It is only recently that Hội An tailors have gained viral fame on social media among tourists, yet for Vietnamese people, tailoring culture has always been an integral part of daily life, with shops discreetly nestled on almost every corner.
Reflecting on what they hope both Vietnamese and international audiences will take away 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 continue to develop their future bodies of work, DOAN Atelier remains dedicated to building upon the strong foundation of "Nàng Gấm," translating heritage into modern interpretations. The brand persists in positioning Vietnam not merely as a manufacturing hub, but as a vanguard of emerging creative talent, rich in craftsmanship, cultural memory, and innovation.
At the heart of DOAN Atelier lies an enduring tribute to Vietnamese women, spanning from the past to the present, whose strength, resilience, and labor continue to shape the very fabric of each meticulously crafted piece.
