Brocade weaving has existed for a long time in Vietnam, and is a cultural feature of the Stieng ethnic group in Binh Phuoc. However, brocade weaving is currently facing the risk of extinction. In order to preserve the traditional craft of the ethnic group, many Stieng women have not been afraid of difficulties, finding ways to maintain and promote brocade weaving, with the desire to pass it on to future generations to be proud of their ethnic cultural identity.
The brocades woven by the Quang Minh Commune Brocade Weaving Association, Chon Thanh Town have been chosen by many designers to design new, unique fashion models. As the designer of two brocade ao dai, Mr. Viet Hung (Ho Chi Minh City) has given many compliments to Binh Phuoc brocade and highly appreciated the value of this cultural heritage.
Brocade innovation
The brocade ao dai are made from fabrics woven by the Quang Minh Commune Brocade Weaving Association, designed by designer Viet Hung, combined with other fabrics to help the wearer feel more comfortable and move more flexibly. In particular, the brocade motifs are combined with images of Vietnamese lotus flowers and bamboo trees to make the costumes more eye-catching.
According to the assessment, the brocade products of the Stieng people in Binh Phuoc are beautiful, imbued with identity, and have high value, but are still being lost, because they are still primitive and not suitable for modern office event spaces, meetings, entertainment, and recreation, so they do not meet the needs of the market and modern life. On the other hand, the way Stieng women weave brocade in the old way, with skirts, shirts, scarves, loincloths, etc., leads to brocade products that are very picky about customers and users, including the Stieng people. Therefore, in addition to fashion products, the brocade weaving profession of the Stieng people in Binh Phuoc needs to diversify products such as tablecloths, bags, wallets, etc. to meet the needs of modern life.
In addition, many customers like to use brocade products for interior decoration. This is an opportunity to both consume and promote brocade products. One of the effective commercialization methods is to upgrade brocade products to have higher applicability such as: interior decoration, sofa making... It is possible to find an outlet for brocade through connecting with the community of fashion designers to create brocade costumes that appear radiantly on the catwalk and in daily life.
Bringing brocade into life
As a daughter of the Stieng ethnic group, Ms. Drênh Thị Hạnh, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Quang Minh Commune, always loves and has a passion for brocade fabrics woven by her people. Having been involved in the traditional brocade weaving profession since childhood, being taught and inspired by her grandmothers and mothers, Ms. Hanh understands more about the value of brocade. To preserve and promote the brocade weaving profession, bringing brocade into life, Ms. Hanh is always proactive in creating suitable shirt and skirt styles to wear to work and parties. Ms. Hanh currently has more than 10 very modern brocade dresses and shirts, which can be used as everyday clothes.
Ms. Nguyen Quynh Vy in Chon Thanh Town said: I saw Ms. Hanh wearing many brocade costumes that were designed to fit her figure, both unique and very "soulful". Especially, when attending Ms. Hanh's daughter's wedding in 2023, I was very impressed with the bride and groom when they wore traditional costumes but were very youthful, with a unique and strange style.
It is from the awareness of preserving and promoting the cultural values of our people that in 2023, the Quang Minh Commune Brocade Weaving Association was established. The association currently has more than 10 members, who are women, mothers, and Stieng women who are proficient in brocade weaving. Ms. Thi Phuong, the Association's Head, said: My mother taught me how to weave brocade since I was a child. In the past, I used to weave fabric to sell to people to buy as a gift, but now I find a way to weave whatever pattern people order. The sisters in the association often guide each other to weave difficult patterns, show each other how to buy quality thread, and advise each other to preserve the traditional craft of our people.
To bring brocade into life, Ms. Drênh Thị Hạnh, Ms. Thi Phuong and many Stieng women in Quang Minh commune also created innovative clothing models, suitable for today's life, combining brocade with other fabrics or materials to create ao dai, to preserve traditional elements while still being suitable for modern aesthetics. Brocade costumes are innovated in shape, combined conveniently for the wearer, closer to the majority and have initially been favored by many women.
Ms. Tuong Van, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City who attended the Pha Bau festival in Quang Minh commune in 2024, said: “I was really impressed with the brocade costumes that the young S'tieng people wore during the festival. The costumes were beautiful, modern, attractive and unique. From there, I felt more clearly the value of brocade, not only the crystallization of effort and dedication but also the pride in the traditional cultural beauty of the people here.”
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