Breathing traditional features into handicraft products
Not a businessman or designer, Mr. Tran Doan Hung - founder of the Comay Craft handicraft handbag brand, traveled to craft villages across the country to learn, learn the craft, and use local human resources and materials to create extremely unique handmade handbags. The artisans all come from craft villages in Thanh Hoa and the materials come from famous localities such as Nga Son - Thanh Hoa sedge, Thai Binh rattan, water hyacinth and sedge in the West...
Mr. Tran Doan Hung - founder of Comay Craft handicraft handbag brand
Having been attached to nature since childhood and coming from the famous Nga Son sedge mat village, Mr. Doan Hung has never seen such bags in his craft village. He observed that most tourists love to carry bamboo and rattan sedge handbags, but Vietnam does not have any truly high-end handicraft handbag brands, but mainly only manufactures for major foreign brands. This has motivated him to build the Comay Craft brand to contribute to and preserve the traditional heritage of Nga Son, Thanh Hoa.
The name Comay means Mayflower. Mayflower is associated with Doan Hung's childhood and the land where he was born and raised. Mayflower has a light purple color, symbolizing loyalty, strong will and hope that never gives up. He also wants to use the image of Mayflower to honor the rustic beauty and devotion of Vietnamese women, and Comay Craft's designs are also created based on these criteria.
Ideas for creating handmade handbag designs inspired by nature, or vases and baskets of shrimp and fish from the past
Since its inception, Comay Craft has built its brand with only two words: “love”. The love here comes from the founder for his homeland, for traditional culture, for the traditional craft of the nation. It is that love that has spread beauty into each bag, beauty in every detail, beauty in the respect and nurturing of the relationship with each customer.
“The idea of creating handmade handbag designs inspired by nature, or vases, baskets of shrimp and fish from the past... Comay Craft focuses on minimalist designs that still exude elegance and luxury, combining many different materials to increase the aesthetic factor in each product. Besides, the handbags still retain the convenience of daily use for many different contexts in life such as: going to work, going out, events, exhibitions or even in diplomatic events. For me, creating a product with highlights is the simplest, most natural things, the simpler the more difficult it is to do”, Mr. Doan Hung shared.
The materials used by Comay Craft are mainly natural fibers from water hyacinth and sedge. These two fibers meet high applicability, creating many different knitting styles and shapes. The material processing to ensure color fastness and resistance to mold and mildew is carefully researched and processed by Comay Craft.
The main materials used for handicraft bags are natural fibers from water hyacinth and sedge.
As society develops, few people choose handmade handbags to go to work or events. Wicker and bamboo handbags are almost only found in the summer or in tourist areas, especially in coastal cities with quite monotonous designs. Therefore, Comay Craft uses natural, environmentally friendly materials but still ensures enough criteria of aesthetics, elegance, convenience and durability needed for a bag to be used in many situations, meeting the needs of busy urban women.
Each product of Comay Craft not only brings handmade bags that create highlights but also aims to change consumers' awareness and habits for handicraft products.
Using traditional materials, handmade bags still exude elegance to meet the needs of busy urban women.
Traditional professions amid saturation wave
“When I returned to my hometown to start this entrepreneurial journey, I faced many difficulties such as: no finance, limited experience in handicrafts, and no formal business training. With the capital of 10 million VND borrowed from my sister to start, I just thought that I would try to persevere every day, if I didn’t have money, I had to have passion and great ambition. Difficulties and challenges always go hand in hand on my path. However, if I understand the laws of nature, I will see it as a very normal thing, calmly handle it and find a way to overcome the difficulties,” said Mr. Doan Hung.
Amidst the wave of competition from foreign brands, Vietnamese brands still win the hearts of most domestic consumers. Doing business on modern platforms such as e-commerce is also a big step forward in two aspects: revenue and preserving traditional values.
Amidst competition from foreign brands, Vietnamese brands still win the hearts of most domestic consumers.
Mr. Tran Doan Hung commented: “I see that the market for handmade handbags in Vietnam is gradually developing much better than in previous years, so it is not strange that in the Vietnamese market there are handmade bag products from other countries or international brands. The market is a common one, with Comay Craft the direction is still the simple things from his hometown. Introducing the beauty of village culture or the simplicity of hard-working women who keep the traditional profession. Telling a real story, real products of artisans to create real value for customers and the surrounding environment”.
