Does traditional clothing need to be high enough to cover the neck?

Hello Mr. Tran Huy Khoi, could you please introduce yourself?

Hello readers, I'm Tran Huy Khoi, the founder of the Da La Xuoc Phuc brand. Since childhood, I've had a passion for history. In 2012, I began researching traditional clothing. In 2019, I officially left my job in the medical field to launch my first traditional clothing brand, "Tinh Hoa Co Phuc" (The Essence of Traditional Clothing). At that time, I designed and sewed traditional clothing, including both modern and classic versions.

After the pandemic, I launched the brand "Da La Xuoc Phuc," specializing in consulting, designing, and tailoring authentic traditional Vietnamese clothing. Da La means "lots of silk" in Sino-Vietnamese, and is also the name of a type of garment. Xuoc Phuc means soft, elegant clothing. I also hope this brand will embody a rich and diverse range of materials and styles for traditional clothing.

Why do you want to shift from modernized traditional clothing designs to original designs?

The first reason is that I'm very passionate about traditional Vietnamese clothing. Sometimes I feel a pang of sadness when I see many young Vietnamese people taking artistic photos or wedding photos in traditional costumes from other countries, such as Japanese Kimono or Korean Hanbok, but only a few wear traditional Vietnamese clothing. I really want more people to know about traditional Vietnamese clothing.

Secondly, while many brands on the market now create modernized versions of traditional costumes, very few focus on authentic, original designs. Modernization has many advantages, but without understanding the standards and foundations, it's difficult to achieve long-term success. Designers and customers need to clearly understand the historical origins of these costumes before modernizing them. I hope to contribute to bringing these traditional garments closer to people so they can gain a deeper understanding of our country's culture.

In your opinion, have society and young people today shown more interest in traditional clothing?

I've noticed that young people today are showing a lot of interest in traditional clothing. Many young people order custom-made outfits from me, even though the cost is much higher than renting, because they're willing to invest in something they can wear for a long time. Recently, I also sponsored a fashion show by students focusing on traditional costumes, which received a lot of support from the school. Besides that, the trend of wearing traditional Nhật Bình and Áo Tấc costumes for wedding photos is also very popular.

People are also gradually recognizing that traditional Vietnamese clothing is not just for decoration. Many organizations have ordered from us to have them made as gifts for international friends. I also recently photographed a couple, the wife Vietnamese and the husband Canadian, who were very enthusiastic and shared a love for traditional Vietnamese clothing.

Many young people think that "traditional clothing must be up to the neck" and find it quite uncomfortable to wear. What are your thoughts on this?

Traditional clothing from the past was subject to many regulations regarding style, color, and patterns under the constraints of Confucianism. Naturally, it had to be modest and formal, so it's understandable that young people today find it uncomfortable. We also simplify overly traditional, elaborate, and ceremonial garments like the Nhật Bình, Áo Tấc, Mãng Bào, and Giao Lĩnh... These items are usually only worn on special occasions and weddings.

There are also products that are extremely comfortable to wear, such as the Five-Panel Ao Dai, which will be promoted. The Five-Panel Ao Dai can be considered the original version of the modern Ao Dai. Men wearing this garment can showcase their masculinity and elegance. Women wearing it also look very gentle, modest, dignified, and graceful. The materials are also made from silk, linen, or satin to provide comfort to the wearer. We also aspire to make the Five-Panel Ao Dai widely known, on par with the modern Ao Dai.

What difficulties did Mr. Khoi encounter during his journey to create the original traditional costume?

There are many difficulties, but two main ones stand out. First, documentation on the prototypes of ancient costumes is extremely difficult to find. They are usually only found in paintings, old books, and research documents. Even the garments unearthed by archaeologists cannot be definitively identified as burial robes or everyday clothing. For example, the five-layered robe (Ngũ Thân) is known to have five layers, but determining the proportions, positions, and details of each layer requires extensive research to produce the most accurate representation.

Next, high-quality silk is very difficult to find in Vietnam, and high-end silk with traditional patterns is extremely expensive, potentially costing up to a million dong per meter. A traditional Vietnamese five-piece dress sometimes requires 5 to 7 meters of fabric, plus labor costs, making the selling price incredibly high. Currently, I still use more affordable fabrics that maintain quality, such as Korean satin, linen, and raw silk. If you look at Korea and Japan, you'll see that their garment manufacturing industry is highly developed, which has led to the spread of traditional clothing throughout the world. I hope to gradually overcome this difficulty in the future by collaborating with other traditional clothing suppliers.

In your opinion, how does customers' understanding of traditional culture affect the traditional clothing market?

When I work in tailoring traditional Vietnamese clothing, I encounter many clients with specific requests. Sometimes they want short sleeves, other times a cinched waist, or patterns that aren't Vietnamese... Some clients overseas ask me to make traditional clothing but send me Chinese patterns. For such clients, I usually explain to them more about traditional clothing and culture. If the client doesn't understand or continues to make overly difficult requests, I have no choice but to refuse.

I also want customers to understand more about traditional costumes so that people like me can create the best products. In the future, Da La Xuoc Phuc will also have campaigns to bring traditional costumes into people's daily lives, such as at gatherings.

Before we conclude, is there anything else Mr. Khoi would like to share with Travellive readers?

Da La Xuoc Phuc's slogan is "Vietnamese traditional clothing, wear it to love." "Love" here means loving the clothing even more, loving the unique culture of our nation. Wearing traditional clothing isn't about grand gestures like preservation, as the media often says... It's simply about wearing clothes that make you feel more love for the beauty of Vietnam. If people take the time to learn about it, they will see that traditional clothing is very beautiful, no less beautiful than that of other countries, and in the future, it will also attract the attention of international friends.

Thank you.

April