...to change a nation's style image

[metkirk]

Hi all,

I'm a 20 year old international college student currently majoring in Business Admin. I've given serious thoughts to opening a clothing store since my grandfather's a tailor and my family was in the fabric business for a long time. As of now I'm still pretty clueless about my plan, however. My hometown is Hanoi, Vietnam. The bespoke tradition began to deteriorate ever since I dont know

but I went to several stores and they seem to be ignorant of my needs, I told a tailor to make a tapered shirt and he said it's for women, and I'd look "gay" in that kind of shirt. I asked them to show me their collar choices, all they could give me was the straight collar. They even claimed with great confidence that there's only 1 collar style !!!

Anyway, I'd appreciate it a lot if you guys can help me on how to get in this business as well as maintain it. Sorry if I can't explain it very well, I think that the style here in Vietnam sucks, you go to most office here and they dress horribly, oversized suits, oversized shirts, bootcut dress pants (yes, boot cut dress pants!!!) with squared toe shoes are everywhere. My country needs a change, a great change, not a lot of people can see that, those who can don't have time or heart to clear up the minds of others. Vietnam's going to be in WTO soon, I don't want my people to be regarded as badly-dressed and unprofessional manner.

So what do I need to make this change possible? I've gathered a team of people who are passionate about reviving and renewing the sense of style of people in my country to do a serious website for formal and streetwear clothing. My plan is to make Vietnamese people conscious about what they wear first, how it could effect their image and stuff, then I will open a store that caters to their new and improved knowledge of style. Is there anything else I can do? Any useful resource for me? Deepest thanks to everyone here, this forum's changed my life a great deal !!!

 

[Matt]

no waaay....this is not me with a fake login on a business trip, I promise

 

[Bradford]

Originally Posted by m@T

no waaay....this is not me with a fake login on a business trip, I promise

Maybe not, but it sounds like metkirk needs a good PR/Marketing firm to carry out his plan! Do you know anyone?

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Bradford

Maybe not, but it sounds like metkirk needs a good PR/Marketing firm to carry out his plan! Do you know anyone?
well he cant afford me, but i hear youre going cheap

jk - happy birthday mate and good luck on thurs

 

[wheelerray]

After you've converted Vietnam into a well-dressed society you can franchise in the USA!

Boot cut dress pants???

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by wheelerray

After you've converted Vietnam into a well-dressed society you can franchise in the USA!

Boot cut dress pants???

oh he left out the incriminating part. they go perfectly with sandals.

 

[Lord Byron]

It's a tricky proposition to open a speciality clothing store in a country where, according to you, people don't care how they dress. But, if you want to persist, first, write a business plan. This will eliminate your vague ideas. Second, solicit assistance from leaders in your country's business and political community. They have to set an example (wearing your stylish clothes) of what your countrymen should aspire to. They might be your first customers or your partners. Then you'll need a public relations campaign to ge the word out. Remember: Changing culture is folly...or revolution. Good luck with your revolution.

 

[kitonbrioni]

Travel to Milan, Paris, London and NYC with a digital camera and a stack of notebooks, and go to all the men's stores mentioned in the archives for best men's stores.

 

[acidboy]

metkirk,

good luck on your business plan. i share the same sentiment here in manila, with the same experiences to match. one thing i was wondering is if good fabrics there are as available as, say hongkong?

 

[Get Smart]

the only way to quickly and profoundly make this change is to style one of your more famous and visible celebrities so the masses will want to emulate his look.

 

[metkirk]

We have some good fabric here in Vietnam but aside from feeling by touch, there's no way for you to judge the quality of the fabric as they're sold without the 100's 120's indication....

Get Smart, the Vietnamese celebrities suck up to glamorous style rather than something of a classic kind so making one of them dress less uglier is an impossible task. I think this applies to many famous people in other countries as well, not just Vietnam.

 

[Matt]

yup re the celebs hes got it.

Im in Noi Bai airport lounge in Hanoi now thankfully heading back to Saigon. When I was flying up here a week ago the Saigon airport lounge had a quite-famous VNese singer (Ngoc Son) walking around everywhere dressed in all white regalia and with some serious bling.

Dude drank his way through about 7 glasses of wine in about 20 mins, just cos he wanted every one to see him walking around 1. in his finery and 2. drinking wine so they can see how sophisticated he is. Ergo...he was shitfaced by 10 am.

I know a tailor who specialises in sewing press stud things into a D&G logo onto the butt of white pants so that this look can be thoroughly replicated.

Remember...spelling it Christian Dioor proves you can afford an extra O worth of little blingy things.

As for the nation's political leaders - there was a thread on the Bill Gates visit here a few months ago that shows how they dress. Cheap oversized suits (proves you can afford more fabric) above cheap oversized shirts (same reason), with white socks (the whiter the socks the better your maid).

Wonder if theres a consulting gig in this for me? End up having to pay a kickback to the the client to get the assignment though.

Fabrics are sold with selveges denoting their grade, its just that the selvege doesnt necessarily correspond to the wool to which it is attached. Ive seen Super 2000s. Thats a hell of a weaver. Ive also seen a tailors son sitting on the floor stitching selveges on to cloth to upsell it. I love this place.

 

[metkirk]

I wish I can put it like you did, M@t

Dressing cheap and fake is no doubt a common thing in Vietnam. Everytime I go down the streets of Hanoi I see a flood of fake stuff, ranging from D&G to Versace. Today I happened to see this girl wearing a shirt with AF logo in the front and Puma logo in the back, her shoes are made by a brand called Pamu whose logo is a dog running downhill (opposite of the Puma cat/leopard jumping up).

 

[Matt]

2 nam 7 thang roi

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by metkirk

Today I happened to see this girl wearing a shirt with AF logo in the front and Puma logo in the back, her shoes are made by a brand called Pamu whose logo is a dog running downhill (opposite of the Puma cat/leopard jumping up).