It is extremely difficult to find a company bearing the deep hallmark of a businessman and a product like Khaisilk. Each silk, food, drink and real estate product bears its own traits. Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr Hoang Khai, General Director of Khaisilk Corporation
Could you tell the background for the formation of Khaisilk?
When Vietnam was still in the subsidy period, Hang Gai Street, Hanoi where I lived was empty. I read newspapers and found out that fashion brands in the world were normally person names. Thus, I decided my shop was named after me. Khaisilk made a debut in such a circumstance and I wanted my trade name to live forever by creating my own styles for our products. When Vietnam opened its door, the economy developed, international trade boomed and the high income earners required better projects and services.
In emerging markets, popular products bear fewer risks. How do you think about this? What is the development orientation of Khaisilk?
Each businessman has different business pressures and interests. I am an artist and music inspires me to create innovative fashion and gastronomic images. My experience makes our products more practical. If all invested in popular products, the diversity of goods would not exist. Moreover, our products are winning the trust of domestic and international consumers.
Khaisilk’s silk products are being sold in 18 commercial centres in Japan and Thailand. For instance, the Gayson Plaza in Bangkok is selling our products together with world-acclaimed brands like Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Versace. World-famed politicians are also very keen on Khaisilk products. Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Australian Prime Minister’s wife, Janet Howard, purchased ties for their husbands at Khaisilk. Or, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also bought ties at Khaisilk.
I want when everybody enters our restaurants, resorts and apartments for lease, they know they belong to Khaisilk. Creating personality and causing others to follow it is currently a very popular business trend in the world. It is called personality business. From nice-looking and fashionable silk to restaurants and resorts, I added many things to present my personality. Any place in my products or restaurants exposes Khai’s manner.
As regards restaurants, I studied gastronomies in different countries to create native atmospheres, making customers feel like in their hometowns. That is why I opened different restaurants such as Nam Phan and Nam Kha restaurants (Vietnam), Au Manoir De Khai (France), Ming Dynasty (China), Thao Li and Charm Charm where gathers world-famous dishes from Italy, the UK, Thailand, Japan, and other nations.
Could you introduce your Saigon Paragon Commercial Centre in Phu My Hung?
In fact, Phu My Hung, with its favourable location, infrastructure and well-to-do residents, has many commercial centres. But, Saigon Paragon attracted a lot of special customers, especially lovers of high-end genuine products or Asian - European special foods. High-grade Saigon Paragon Commercial Centre provides all business and entertainment demands: shopping centres, financial transactions, cinemas, restaurants, beauty salons and fashion shops. The shopping zone is placed from the first to fourth floors. From the sixth to ninth floors are offices for lease with a floor area of 15,000 sq.m; conferencing area with 3.000 sq.m, and the basement with 16 high-grade restaurants.
It is said that if you are a connoisseur in Vietnamese silk, come to Khaisilk, if you want to know pearls - the crystallisation of integrating economy of Vietnam, come to Paragon.
Would you mind telling Khaisilk’s upcoming projects?
In 2010, we will kick off the Royal Residential project in Ban Nguyet Lake, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the crystallisation of architectures of Vietnam and the world, typically Taj Mahal architecture.
Reported by Phan Thanh
Vietnamese
