Vietnam Went From Manufacturing Fashion to Defining It

Vietnamese designers are reaching red carpets, music videos and major stages while giving the world a new understanding of the country’s fashion identity. For decades, Vietnam has been one of the most important countries in the global fashion industry, but you were more likely to see “Made in Vietnam” hidden inside on a garment tag, rather than a Vietnamese designer’s name displayed across the label. But that is quickly changing because Vietnamese designers are becoming much more visible throughout Western pop culture, proving that the country does not just manufacture fashion. Vietnam has a long fashion identity of its own, most famously represented by the áo dài, a fitted tunic worn over flowing trousers that incorporates influences from Vietnamese court clothing, Chinese garments and French colonial fashion. However, Vietnam’s modern fashion industry spent years being known primarily for production. According to The Business of Fashion, Vietnam ranked as the second-largest exporter of textiles and apparel to the United States between 2018 and 2022, behind only China. Despite making clothing for some of the world’s biggest companies, its own designers rarely received the same international recognition. Now, a younger generation of Vietnamese labels is finding success worldwide. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Fancì Club, founded by Duy Trần, became popular for its sheer fabrics, corsets, bows and feminine Y2K designs. Olivia Rodrigo wore a black-and-pink Fancì Club outfit to a 2022 movie premiere while Bella Hadid has been seen wearing two of the brand’s looks during a weekend in the Hamptons. Instead of waiting for acceptance from a traditional European fashion house, Fancì Club used social media, celebrity stylists and recognizable designs to enter global pop culture. Vietnamese fashion received even more spotlight in 2025 after American pop star, Ariana Grande, wore a pink gown by Trần Hùng in a 2025 R.E.M. Beauty campaign and more recently, KATSEYE appeared at Coachella in 2026 wearing theatrical custom outfits by Ho Chi Minh City label La Lune. For years, Vietnam’s contribution to global fashion was hidden behind the brands printed on the tag. Today, celebrities are proudly naming the Vietnamese designers behind their biggest fashion moments. The world already trusted Vietnam to make its clothing and now it is finally beginning to recognize the creativity coming from the country as well.