Tran Vinh

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Vietnam

During a visit to the Complex of Huế Monuments, I became fascinated by the repetitive patterns embedded within the architectural landscape, from structured window grids to intricate ornamental details. Beyond their visual presence, these patterns prompted a deeper inquiry into the cultural and human contexts that shaped them, why repetition is so prevalent, and what philosophies sustain it. Within many Asian architectural traditions, repetition extends beyond decoration; it embodies principles of order, harmony, and continuity, where rhythm stabilizes space and reflects a worldview that values balance and enduring structure over time. Yet, this sense of permanence is not absolute, it is carefully constructed through repetition itself, revealing a paradox between stability and constant change. From this perspective, the collection approaches repetition not as surface ornamentation, but as a structural system. Discarded leather offcuts sourced from small-scale workshops are transformed into modular units and assembled through interlocking techniques, forming garments that are both flexible and structurally cohesive. Material exploration further articulates this language through laser cutting for precision and rhythmic repetition, 3D embossing to recreate architectural depth, and engraving and sculpting techniques to enhance tactile expression. At its core, the collection reflects my design philosophy, a continuous negotiation between structure and emotion, tradition and innovation, aiming to create garments that endure both aesthetically and functionally over time. Ultimately, patterns are not applied but constructed, becoming integral to the garment’s structure and spatial composition, where repetition is not only seen, but physically built, while simultaneously questioning the permanence it appears to promise.

Category: Apparel

Competitions: International

This project explores the fragmented nature of memory - the blurry boundary between remembering and forgetting - and how these contradictions coexist to form something deeply personal, imperfect, and ever-shifting. My design is deeply inspired by the work of Vietnamese-American artist Lê Quang Đỉnh, whose photographic weaving technique-interlacing two distinct images-creates new visual narratives through fragmentation and repetition. His art challenges the viewer’s perception, forcing them to recompose meaning from what appears torn or incomplete. I was drawn to this sense of duality: remembering and forgetting, clarity and distortion. With that in mind, I set out to recreate this layered visual language through the medium of fashion-replacing photographs with material, and imagery with texture. I chose to work exclusively with cowhide leather-a material known for its strength, but also for its ability to hold traces of manipulation. The process began with thinning the leather, then separating it into two types of elements: one to be cut into strips and woven, and one to be broken down into irregular patches. Each strip was hand-dyed in muted olives, raw browns, and smoky greens-evoking the tones of faded memories and worn prints. Because the dyeing was manual, no two leather strips are identical-just like memory, which never repeats the same way twice. The weaving technique became my central tool for visual storytelling. Like Lê Quang Đỉnh’s works, I constructed a fragmented but interconnected surface. The woven patterns vary in scale and density-some areas tight and structured, others open and loose. This intentional inconsistency symbolizes how memory behaves: some parts vivid, some unclear, some wounded and incomplete. The woven panels appear most prominently across the chest, sleeves, and trousers-not merely as decoration, but as structural metaphors: how we interlace fragments of identity, trauma, place, and emotion into something we can carry. In addition, I embraced imperfection and asymmetry as a design principle. The garment features exposed seams, misaligned panels, and large, visible hand-stitches. These are not flaws but visual scars-each stitch a moment of labor, each layer a gesture of care or repair. Drawing from the philosophy of wabi-sabi, I left elements intentionally “unfinished”: slight holes, misregistered edges, and variations in scale. These ruptures reflect how memory is never whole; it is built through rupture, loss, and emotional sediment. This garment is also in motion. Its asymmetry causes the fabric to fall differently on the body; textures shift, leather pulls, fringes move. The wearer becomes part of the performance. Just as Lê Quang Đỉnh’s photo-weavings require the viewer to shift perspective, this garment asks to be felt, moved in, and interpreted again and again. Ultimately, this design is a meditation on memory - not as something fixed or flawless, but as a living process of piecing together what remains. Through the tactile language of leather, weaving, and visible construction, I aim to express how memory can be carried, worn, and even reshaped. The garment does not seek to restore what is lost, but to honor its absence - acknowledging that within every stitch, gap, and woven thread lies a story that is both personal and universal. It is not a finished object, but a conversation between time, material, and identity.

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Vietnam

My project represents a fragmented reconstruction of memory, an exploration into reclaiming the shattered pieces of history and identity as seen in Persistence of Memory, the iconic artwork by artist Lê Quang Đỉnh. This work is more than a mere recording of events; it is an artistic strategy where images of war are distorted and interwoven through a veil of memory, rendering them indistinguishable. Inspired by this piece, with its fragmented memories, each detail in the garment design carries a message about the disintegration of history and identity over time. Lê Quang Đỉnh employs the technique of “woven images” to depict the decay of historical memories while revitalizing them by integrating imagery from Western war films-films that often portray the Vietnam War in a reductive and biased manner. Through this, he not only seeks the truth within these images but also explores the distortions and omissions in the process of remembering. Lê Quang Đỉnh’s artistic vision is shaped by his personal experiences in a complex wartime context, where memory becomes a vehicle for not only reflection but also for changing perception. Following his family's migration to the United States after the war, Đỉnh faced both personal separation and the devastation of memory-memories obscured by unconscious repression or erased and distorted by Western media portrayals. These concepts of memory, truth, and imagination-have become the cornerstone of Đỉnh's artistic approach. His work explores the restoration of memory, acknowledging that memory is never truly intact, but always fragmented, intertwining the past and present, the individual and the collective. The use of leather in this design contrasts sharply with the concept of memory: leather, with its durability and strength, symbolizes memories seemingly etched into the earth, unchangeable. Yet, through the process of weaving, leather transforms into a more flexible and supple material, mirroring how fragmented memories are pieced back together over time-though they can never fully return to their original form. The weaving technique is not merely a formal tool; it serves as a psychological interpretation of memory, where each piece of leather is intricately woven, cut, and shaped to form a disjointed surface, much like human memory-always disrupted, patched together, but simultaneously embodying a delicate beauty of rebirth. The asymmetrical in the garment-key elements of the design-break traditional design principles while symbolizing the imbalance within memory. They reflect the inability to reconcile, to find unity, creating a sense of disorder and uncontrollability, akin to the scattered fragments of a historical narrative that cannot be fully reconstructed. Thus, this design is not just about a garment; it is an artistic statement, representing the convergence of past and present, reality and imagination. The leather material not only signifies durability but, through its manipulation and shaping, also evokes a world of memory that is soft, fluid, and fragile. The asymmetric cuts and interwoven leather pieces go beyond mere form, reflecting the fragmented nature of historical memory. The garment, with its supple leather layers woven together like a memory mat, becomes a symbol of how each individual carries invisible scars from the past-fragments of memory integral to the formation of identity. Furthermore, the weaving technique introduces sustainability to the design, as it allows for easy repair-only the damaged sections of leather need to be rewoven, rather than replacing the entire garment. This reduces waste and extends the life cycle of the piece, further emphasizing its sustainable nature. The objective of this collection is not only to create aesthetically and functionally engaging designs but also to evoke a profound sense of the pain and hidden beauty found in the fractured nature of memory. Through its woven details, cuts, and the use of leather, this collection serves as a deep reflection on the restoration of memory, on the rebirth and intertwining of history within each individual. When the wearer adorns this garment, they are not merely wearing a piece of fashion; they are embodying a part of historical memory-a part of recreation and the awakening of untold stories.