

Thu Thu

Thu Thu is the label of 24 year old designer Thuy Duong Nguyen. The striking fabrics featured in Thu Thu design are sourced from vintage skirts and blankets in Sapa, a mountainous region in North Vietnam. Made by women of the H'mong ethnic group when a new baby is born, they take several months to complete. The fabric is produced using locally sourced natural dyes such as beeswax and indigo.

Nguyen studied at the international fashion school ESMOD Berlin and is currently based in London.

Friday, 07.12.2012
14:15 (Cet)

Recommend this to your friends and spread the word.

The word Hmong means “human being” or “free people” in the Hmong language. The tribe’s textile art (paj ntaub or “flower cloth”) consits of varying embroideries in bold geometric designs often realized in bright, contrasting colors. Different patterns and techniques of production are associated with geographical regions and cultural subdivisions within the global Hmong community. White Hmong (Hmong Der) for instance, are typically associated with reverse appliqué while Green Hmong (Mong Leng) are more associated with batik. Traditionally, paj ntau were applied to skirts worn for courtship during New Year festivals, as well as baby-carriers and men's collars. The core visual elements include layered bands of appliqué, triangles and squares tilted and superimposed on contrasting lines, dots, spirals and crosses.

Sapa is a frontier town and capital of the Sa Pa district, located in the Lao Cai province in Northwest Vietnam. It is one of the main market towns in the area, where several ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao, Giay, Pho Lu and Tay live.

