'Slow' fashion

Báo Thanh niênBáo Thanh niên18/02/2025


Twice "overcoming difficulties"

At the beginning of 2025, the fashion industry continued to witness many Vietnamese brands closing stores and ceasing operations. However, the Hanoi-based brand White Ant surprised everyone when it "moved south" and opened its first store in Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, the Ant family had a show at Celebrating Local Pride 8 and made its mark through its sustainable fashion journey "up the mountains and down to the sea" with collections taken at the Quy Nhon wind power field, Mooc stream (Quang Binh), Con Dao (Ba Ria-Vung Tau), Go Lao waterfall (Hoa Binh)...

Thời trang 'chậm'- Ảnh 1.

White Ant's Sustainable, Elegant, Minimalist Fashion at Celebrating Local Pride 8

The number of 16 retail stores in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Nghe An and Ho Chi Minh City can be considered modest compared to White Ant's 19-year journey of continuous development (since 2006). However, founder and CEO Bach Cao Cuong believes that slow development is the orientation from the beginning and is also the criterion that White Ant aims for when choosing to do sustainable fashion. Mr. Cuong said: "Slow but steady, with endurance, sooner or later you will reach the destination, so there is no need to rush. As a mountain climbing enthusiast, I also apply the ideology of this sport to the fashion field."

During more than 3 decades working in the garment industry, Mr. Cuong has twice led the brand through difficulties. After the economic crisis (2008 - 2009), Kien found a team of highly skilled workers in the garment industry to build the "Kant nest" together; after the Covid-19 pandemic (2020 - 2021), the brand successfully exploited the potential of the online sales channel, bringing stable income to employees and not falling behind.

Restructuring to optimize operations and constantly changing to adapt to the new fashion market and consumer trends is the "key" for the fashion brand F2 - Fashion and Freedom (fashion goes hand in hand with free style) to overcome "turning points" such as the 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Tay, Director and Founder of the F2 brand, said "necessity is the mother of invention". When everyone had to stay at home, F2 pioneered the trial of a home fitting program. Accordingly, customers choose their favorite designs and they are shipped to their homes for them to try on. Customers only need to pay for the products they like, the rest is returned to the store. After a month of implementation, the program recorded a 92 - 95% success rate of orders, maintaining stable revenue during the epidemic season.

Thời trang 'chậm'- Ảnh 2.

Singer Doan Trang wears a design in collaboration with F2 fashion

F2 was founded in 2014 and currently has 11 stores in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Nha Trang and Hanoi (before the pandemic, there were 27 stores). At the time of the pandemic outbreak, Mr. Tay had to drastically streamline locations that were no longer suitable to reduce costs and operate more efficiently.

Sustainable fashion is the way to go

The opportunity for Mr. Pham Ngoc Tay to bring F2 from a brand for young people to a sustainable fashion brand was due to being tired of having to follow trends and new trends of fast fashion. Aiming at middle-aged male and female customers, women who have given birth and like the new breeze of office fashion, F2 chooses environmentally friendly main materials from linen, silk and cotton for the main product lines of shirts, trousers, long skirts, suits... The clothes are easy to combine together, cool, cover defects well, beautiful and can be used for a long time. In addition, selling to the international market is a goal in the brand's sustainable development strategy.

Thời trang 'chậm'- Ảnh 3.

Customers choose White Ant costumes in the new store in Ho Chi Minh City that opened in January 2025

White Ant has shifted its focus to developing limited-edition, high-quality products. Sustainability criteria are implemented transparently and consistently across all areas. White Ant's designs only use materials of natural origin. The clothes are usually made of natural fabric colors, white or black (because no chemicals or dyes are used); buttons are made from seashells; flowers and accessories, decorative motifs are made from scraps of fabric... Each product bears the mark of craftsmanship, is meticulously crafted, and can be worn in many seasons, and can be flexibly combined together.

Mr. Bach Cao Cuong believes that Vietnamese fashion in 2025 will still face many challenges. Therefore, if the export channel can be developed, the brand will grow well, but if it only sells domestically, it will be very difficult to survive.

According to Mr. Pham Ngoc Tay, after the recent elimination period, any brand that has a thorough understanding of its strengths and weaknesses to reform its apparatus; any fashion maker that has stronger investment and creativity, creating the value that customers need, will survive and have the strength to bounce back when the market recovers.



Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-trang-cham-185250217231806366.htm

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