By Layla Zulfa 
In an era witnessing a global surge in recognition for Vietnamese creative talent, a new cohort of designers is steadily carving out a significant presence in the international fashion landscape. Among them, DOAN Atelier stands out, its collections intrinsically embodying a philosophy that honors heritage while boldly charting a course for the future. Their recent collection, "Nàng Gấm" – translating to "Folklore of the Silk Lady" – is a testament to this vision. Drawing profound inspiration from traditions passed down through generations, the collection serves as a vibrant celebration of the enduring beauty and inherent strength of Vietnamese women throughout history, all while championing a powerful vision of the regality found in labor.
Jennie (Gia Linh) Doan, a distinguished graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Fashion Arts program, unveiled her final collection last spring. The showcase featured an array of innovative and striking designs that masterfully upheld Vietnamese traditions. This exceptional presentation garnered Jennie a prestigious nomination for the Fashion Design Student Award at the recent Canada Arts and Fashion Awards, underscoring her burgeoning talent and the collection’s significant impact.
EnVi had the distinct opportunity to connect with the creative forces behind DOAN Atelier, siblings Jennie and Austin Doan, via a Zoom conversation. During this engaging dialogue, they delved into the profound roots that anchor their brand, the genesis of their fashion house, and the rich lore that permeates "Nàng Gấm."
The Sibling Architects of DOAN Atelier
The synergy between Jennie and Austin Doan is palpable, a natural extension of their bond as siblings and collaborative partners. Jennie spearheads the intricate design process, meticulously articulating and constructing each garment. Austin, in his role as Creative Director, shapes the overarching vision of the collection, meticulously layering his extensive research with compelling editorial direction.
Hailing from Vietnam, the siblings come from a lineage deeply intertwined with the arts, boasting a rich family history spanning three generations of accomplished musicians and dancers. Jennie’s own artistic journey began with ballet, while Austin cultivated his skills in traditional music. Upon relocating to Toronto for their studies, they found themselves drawn to exploring new artistic frontiers. Austin expanded his creative canvas to encompass visual mediums, producing music videos, short films, and documentaries. Concurrently, Jennie discovered her calling in the world of fashion.
"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 years of dance rehearsals, witnessing the spectacle of glamorous costumes, and observing the meticulous craftsmanship behind the stage performances, illuminated a clear overlap between theatrical costuming and haute couture. In dance, where movement and the human form serve as the primary language, costumes are inherently structured to enhance and articulate these expressions. Jennie translates this understanding into her designs, believing it to be the foundational principle of DOAN Atelier. "Garments have to move a certain way and be seen a certain way," she explained.
Unearthing the Folklore: The Genesis of "Nàng Gấm"
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, beginning with the narratives that had shaped their upbringing. The collection’s title, "Folklore of the Silk Lady," is a direct homage to the legends, myths, and tales that the siblings grew up hearing. Jennie, in particular, found profound inspiration in the histories of Vietnamese heroines, from the formidable Trưng Sisters, 1st-century military commanders who led significant rebellions, to resilient maidens featured in fairy tales like "Tấm and Cám," often referred to as the Vietnamese Cinderella. Alongside these historical accounts, the personal stories shared by her grandparents and parents about their past and upbringing further fueled her creative drive. Through these explorations, she sought to pay tribute to the custodians of folklore: the women who diligently 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 was extensive, examining regional variations and their evolution throughout history.
The meticulous research into the evolution of Vietnamese womenswear was a cornerstone of the collection’s development, a task particularly enriched by Austin’s experience in documentary filmmaking. Jennie noted that a significant challenge lay in maintaining historical accuracy while simultaneously allowing for creative reinterpretation.
Silk, Vietnam’s most celebrated and traditionally produced fabric, takes center stage as the protagonist of "Nàng Gấm." The collection prominently 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," as traditional Vietnamese attire is reimagined through a contemporary, editorial lens.
The Threads of Lore: Weaving Stories of Labor and Femininity
At its heart, "Nàng Gấm" explores the complex interplay of class, labor, and femininity within Vietnamese society. The collection’s striking color palette embraces a powerful duality of black and yellow, symbolizing the working class and nobility, respectively. Black, a practical choice for rural laborers, was favored for its ability to mask dirt during agricultural work. Conversely, vibrant yellows were worn by the upper classes, signifying wealth, affluence, and authority. This latter group also held the privilege of adorning themselves in silk, a luxurious fabric accessible only to those of their social and economic standing.
The collection showcases a diverse array of iconic garments and elements drawn from Vietnamese heritage, representing various social classes, regions, and occasions. These range 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, for instance, expertly embody this nuanced balance, reinterpreting traditional garments with a modern sensibility while preserving the timeless, rustic, and intimate beauty characteristic of Vietnamese women. Notably, Look 5 achieved international acclaim when it was featured in Lady Gaga and Doechii’s music video for "RUNWAY." This ensemble, featuring a skirt adorned with a lotus-leaf pattern that flares outwards like a blooming lotus, intricately embeds deep cultural imagery within a dazzling, high-fashion context. It powerfully aligns the motif of Vietnamese femininity and resilience with the song’s overarching theme of confidence.
Further reimagined accessories include the khăn mỏ quạ, a square headscarf historically worn by rural working women; the nón ba tầm, a flat palm hat favored by middle to upper-class Northerners; the mấn (or khăn đóng), a ceremonial wedding headdress; and the kiềng, a silver or gold necklace often passed down as a treasured heirloom.
The deliberate inclusion of attire from different regions of Vietnam serves to highlight the diversity of labor and how dress is intrinsically shaped by place, occupation, and daily life. "Nàng Gấm" artfully merges the utilitarian design of workwear with the regal silhouettes of ceremonial garb, weaving them together into contemporary couture compositions.
This striking contrast is particularly evident in Look 1. The long robe draws inspiration from the áo tơi, a rain cloak constructed from layered palm leaves, and the áo long bào, a gold robe emblazoned with dragon motifs, traditionally reserved for the Emperor. This intentional juxtaposition marries garments from vastly different origins, creating a garment of profound symbolic depth.
Look 3’s skirt silhouette mirrors the form of nơm bắt cá (fish trapping baskets), while cascading yellow silk fringes evoke the appearance of flowing grains of rice. This design powerfully conjures imagery of generations of agricultural labor and the sustenance it provided.
In Look 4, the collection pays homage to ethnic minority communities residing in Vietnam’s mountainous regions. A dramatic asymmetrical shoulder piece emulates the contours of rolling hills and towering peaks. Across the garment, carved waves suggest the movement of ruộng bậc thang (terraced rice fields). Worn over a backless áo yếm-inspired dress featuring a bold leg slit, and a wide-brimmed nón ba tầm that artfully conceals the eyes, this look exudes confidence and allure, capturing the quiet resilience inherent in Vietnamese women.
From Sketch to Silhouette: The Labor of Creation
Look 4 also marks the inception of "Nàng Gấm" – it was the very first sketch from which the entire collection began to take shape. This initial design was the first to be brought to life from Jennie’s original conception, with the preliminary sketch preserved in its original form throughout the garment’s meticulous execution.
The construction of this piece proved to be a significant learning curve, with Jennie candidly testifying to the demanding nature of working with silk. Furthermore, she was operating with a finite supply of the material, making it a deliberate choice to source all silks and fabrics for the collection directly from Vietnam. Jennie and Austin’s family played an instrumental role in the collection’s development, with their parents procuring the necessary textiles from local markets and artisans in Vietnam before shipping them to Canada. Supported by their family, local businesses, and artisans, the production process embraced an "it takes a village" ethos, reinforcing the collection’s unwavering commitment to Vietnamese authenticity and craftsmanship.
During their conversation, Jennie shared a piece of test fabric she had experimented with to create the distinctive grooved slashes on the shoulder piece of Look 4. Here, trademark yellow silk peeked from beneath black canvas, interspersed with intricate lines of embroidery – each slit and threaded pattern meticulously crafted by hand. Jennie revealed that she had meticulously dissected an áo dài sent by her mother, studying its layers, seams, and underlying structure to gain a deeper understanding of its assembly.
The painstaking level of detail infused into each piece truly embodies the thematic proverb of "Nàng Gấm": khó nhọc, sống sau, translated literally as "suffer first, ease later," the Vietnamese equivalent of "no pain, no gain." This adage, deeply ingrained in Jennie and Austin by their parents, resonated profoundly with Jennie as she painstakingly assembled each garment.
This philosophy of discipline and dedicated 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."
Incorporating agricultural motifs throughout the collection, Jennie emphasized the critical importance of hand labor in order to "harvest the fruit" of her artistic endeavors. Much like the fishermen, rice harvesters, weavers, and countless hardworking Vietnamese individuals, it is precisely this intensive labor and unwavering 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 in preserving cultural and material traditions.
"Nàng Gấm" on the Global Stage
The unveiling of "Nàng Gấm" marks a significant beginning for DOAN Atelier, as Jennie and Austin aspire to solidify their presence within the fashion industry, navigating the demanding rhythms of academic pursuits, professional careers, and life itself. The siblings are focused on further immersing themselves in the industry, cultivating connections with fellow creative minds, and strategically building their team.
Deeply inspired by the Vietnamese designers who have paved the way and their current industry peers, the siblings aspire to join them in occupying prominent spaces on the global stage, representing a burgeoning vision of Vietnamese talent.
During the development and showcase of "Nàng Gấm," Jennie and Austin observed that many were visibly impressed by the exceptional quality of the silk, frequently exclaiming, "Wow, is this coming from Vietnam?" Initially surprised by this sentiment, they recognized the inherent disconnect between their reality and external perceptions. "This is something we could easily have access to," they noted. "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-standing legacy of exquisite craftsmanship has historically remained underrecognized. It is only recently that Hội An tailors have gained viral traction on social media among tourists, yet for Vietnamese people, tailoring culture has always been an intrinsic 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 work, 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 and create future bodies of work, DOAN Atelier remains steadfast in building upon the foundational principles of "Nàng Gấm," consistently translating heritage into modern reimagining. The brand is committed to positioning Vietnam not merely as a place of production, but as a vibrant hub of emerging creative talent, a nation saturated in rich craftsmanship, profound cultural memory, and groundbreaking innovation.
At the very core of DOAN Atelier lies an enduring tribute to Vietnamese women, spanning from past to present. Their strength, resilience, and unwavering labor continue to shape the very fabric of each meticulously crafted piece.
To stay abreast of DOAN Atelier’s creative journey, be sure to follow them on their official Instagram.
