Vi Thi Thu Trang has a cosy humble studio – located in a small alley in Hanoi. Entering her rustic little place filled with cotton, linen, and traditional paintings on fabric using beeswax (Hang Trong), I cannot help but feel curious.
Like a tradition, we started our conversation with a cup of tea, Trang Vi described her journey by a quote “all roads lead to Rome”.
Could you explain the quote “all roads lead to Rome”?
Trang Vi: How to put it now? I love the beauty of everything. Being surrounded with nature, soon, I started observing, collecting and having senses of images, so I draw beautiful things I see. I have loved drawing ever since I could hold a pen, never grow bored of it; it has become such a common thing that I didn’t even realise how fond of it I am. There was a time that I had to decide what to do, I chose to be an architect; it was simply because it’s related to what I like – drawing – you know, I literally draw everything that’s beautiful to me. After graduation, I started working in architecture for a while, but I didn’t feel connected; then I quitted the job and did several things like opening a coffee & pub place, making leather goods and so on.
Back then when I worked in architecture, I noticed the fabric application in this field and started studying about it. Handcrafted fabric absolutely drew my attention. Well, I love everything related to nature and handmade. It resulted in the fact that I moved to the countryside and made cloth with a Thai ethnic craftswoman. At first it was just for fun helping her design her products because I found Thai cotton fabric extremely nice, sentimental, vibrant with typical patterns but lacking aesthetic pleasure. Having improved the downside, the products became more valuable. I tried introducing it to the market in Hanoi for her, that’s how it all started. In the region where I lived, there are many ethnic groups – Dao, H’Mông; I noticed that they have a diverse indigenous weaving culture/techniques which I was tempted to learn and improve.
I once attempted a competition – Crafting Future, organised by the British Council in 2017 which focused on “the future of Vietnamese craftsmanship in villages”, apparently I was getting to know the H’Mông linen, I registered under the name “IndieHand” – means Our/Vietnamese Fabrics. Since then, I continued learning Dao and Tay people’s fabric-making techniques, finding the cross-culture to establish my way of making it.
I’ve always been a home-oriented person. It was true that wherever I have been, seen things, worked in different places, met countless faces, I still came back to where I was – my home/country/origin. “All roads lead to Rome”! After a while working on H’Mông linen development, I decided to move back to my countryside, open a place, slow down the process and revive the cotton fabric making from scratch.
“Thổ Cẩm Ta” exhibition, organized by Artistay
Location
MIA Design Studio
Cao Duc Lan street, An Phu, Thy Duc city, Hochiminh city
Time
01.2021
Photo
Tran Trung Hieu
What was the thing that directly influenced your decision? Was it because of your hometown context?
In Van Ho (Son La), the Thai natural dyeing and weaving techniques have been constantly faded in these recent decades, even though their techniques were excellent (unique patterns, vibrant natural colours, good organic fabric). Most of the garment products now, which have lower quality, are made of commercial fibres and dyes imported from Laos and China. Having seen the situation, it’s time for me to come back, try to keep and develop the tradition.
After 3 years working with H’Mông people, I understood the reason why they could pass their tradition of making their ancestral linen, their identity from their costumes to their cultural life. In H’Mông society, it is believed that the sleight of a H’Mông woman is expressed by how she stitches, weaves and sews clothes for their family members (at least 2 for each one). They have such a strong, sometimes a bit extreme, sense of pride and acknowledgement about conserving their tradition and culture. Until now, there is an indigo barrel in every household, as a family member, which has its own spirit and life. In addition, they grow their own linen plants annually, make their own fabric, and craft their own costumes. Thanks to this, the indigo dyeing technique has an important role in H’Mông culture and society. I, pretty much, admire their spirit and learn lots from them. As so, when the time comes, I want to return to my Thai origin, to revive our handmade weaving and also our culture.
One more thing I notice is that tourism really is a favourable element which helps H’Mông culture bloom, especially in Sapa. This advantage gives H’Mông culture room to develop, to regenerate and also to be preserved.
Talking about culture, perhaps just reviving the Thai’s craft of weaving might not be enough?
You are right, we will be combining stories of Thai culture and long term directions for tourist development as well. If we solely create and sell the products, soon, stories of our culture and society will not be told.
I’ve prepared fair enough materials and tools for our workshop back in the countryside, they are waiting for me to return and then we could start learning step by step about the Thai traditional weaving techniques. Gradually, I will take on customised products as our main focus with limited quantity, so that I can avoid having mass products or waste.
There are many popular local brands focusing on handcrafted, natural or organic fabrics, what do you think about the Sustainable Fashion trend in the world and Vietnam? Is this how their products are marketed by the names?
I take sustainable factors seriously which is not temporary, it is the essential trend in, particularly, fashion and other industries. Not for long, Industrial and mass production will be discarded, the Earth is being overwhelmed and human beings cannot keep on this way of consuming. Sooner or later, we will have to return to slow-fashion, limited edition, sustainable and eco-friendly products. This is where we are heading to after all those years researching and experimenting.
In contrast to the major part, I have realised that people consider sustainable fashion a trend and they want to be up-to-date. Looking at the positive side, at least they are aware of what is sustainable fashion and might not be very close to its nature yet. After this opening chapter, I hope that the local brands can find their serious and consistent direction for their sustainable products. Plus, I do have the feeling that we all can feel, know, distinguish or even remove those brands that run their business with immoral behaviour.
How would you assess the actual level of interest of consumers in handmade woven natural fibre-based fabric?
As a consumption habit, most of them prefer industrial ones. The major reasons come from a number of people who handmade textile products in Vietnam which commonly have better quality in general but these are produced in closed-systems then exported directly to foreign countries or made by order from foreigners, preventing domestic consumers from accessing these products. Besides, a number of local people handmade their products for sale but the quality was not very good, which attracts visitors because of its cheap price and eye-catching colours. Few famous brands are now making an effort to professionalise their production and sale of multi-purposed goods, however, there remain some problems such as lacking of design, inconsistent fabric quality, challenging domestic market and expensive.
Over time, domestic customers only become acquainted with such items and develop a bad impression of handicrafts. Honestly, I cannot blame them for that; they just can’t find the beauty out of it yet. I know how it feels because I was also a customer who was refused when I wanted to get contact with a brocade brand that sold exclusively to foreigners.
Even in the past, the one who made the cloth did not have a chance to use or experience their own products, those were completely for sale. For me, it’s the opposite; I’m trying to let them use their own handmade products, let them understand what they’ve been doing, and have them connect to it. Craftsmanship is like that, I always want to put everything back to where it should be – its original roots.
It can be said that this is your consistent and long term direction: from researching, hand-weaving practice with local people, then have it develop in different ways to find your orientation. It must have been a hard time for you, is it?
Sure thing, there were times that I quitted, fully stopped the thing. As I am an artistic person rather than a business one, so I had a lot of problems. I’m pretty extreme about my work, I do not want or cannot just follow the market and do something against my will. At that time, people didn’t pay much attention to handcrafted products or natural-based products, the sale was very low and I had to solve it all by myself because I couldn’t find any companions.
Yet, thanks to this hold, I had time to research about the culture of ethnic communities. I realised that all the information I had acquired was again related to crafts, including weaving, but in a more objective and clear perspective. And once again “All roads lead to Rome”! When I stopped, I received many messages from old customers and friends. I found myself betraying their trust and love, so I started anew. This time would be much better from before, with a new point of view, wiser and more concrete.
Until now, I’m pretty confident about myself and my way ahead. At least, I have found myself even when my business is still a quest.
Thank you very much for this interesting talk!
Interview
Hoang Huong Tra
