Profile: Lên Huỳnh – Real Leather Design Competitions

Lên Huỳnh

Vietnam

My name is Huynh Linh, a third-year fashion design student from Vietnam, currently studying at the University of Architecture HCMC. Growing up in a rural environment, I was surrounded by raw, honest materials and everyday moments that quietly shaped my perception of beauty. These early experiences continue to influence my design approach today. My inspirations often come from my own lived experiences - from the most ordinary and sometimes overlooked details. It could be the structure of traffic lights, tangled electrical wires, a cluster of bamboo from childhood memories, or even fragments of street advertisements. I am drawn to these elements not for what they are, but for what they can become. I am particularly interested in the relationship between material, memory, and identity. For me, fashion is not only about aesthetics, but a medium to translate personal and cultural narratives into tangible forms. I often reinterpret familiar visuals into new structures, allowing them to exist in a different context. Working with leather allows me to explore structure, texture, and durability in a meaningful way. I see it not only as a material, but as a storytelling surface - one that carries traces of time, process, and experience. Through my work, I aim to create designs that are visually striking yet conceptually grounded, where contrast - between control and imperfection, strength and vulnerability - becomes a defining language.

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THÀNH CHANCHOU

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Vietnam

“Chanchou” is a project rooted in personal memory, inspired by the image of children herding buffaloes in rural Vietnam - a once-familiar scene that is gradually fading as the country develops. The name “Chanchou” is a wordplay between “chăn trâu” and “chance”, reflecting the idea that early responsibilities are not only burdens, but also formative experiences that shape resilience and identity. Rather than framing these moments as hardship, the project approaches them as a process of transformation -where environment and experience leave lasting marks on the individual. This concept is translated into design through the use of leather as a primary material. Leather is chosen not only for its durability, but for its ability to hold texture, structure, and surface treatment as a form of storytelling. The material is manipulated to resemble traces of mud -symbolic of labor, growth, and lived experience - where each mark becomes a visual record that cannot be erased. The silhouette emphasizes contrast: a structured, controlled upper body against a fragmented, organic lower section. This reflects the tension between imposed responsibility and the unpredictable nature of growth. Exaggerated shoulders, inspired by buffalo horns, represent strength and endurance, while the extended collar suggests pressure and weight beyond physical form. The layered skirt, constructed from irregular leather panels, embodies accumulation - of memories, of time, and of emotional weight. The headpiece, inspired by natural leaves, references a simple form of protection, connecting the design back to its rural origin. “Chanchou” is not only a recollection, but a transformation of memory into contemporary form -preserving a fading cultural image through material and design.