Bringing Hanoi's Silk and Brocade Products to the International Fashion Market

On the afternoon of November 25, representatives of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Hanoi New Rural Development Program Coordination Office and a number of Vietnamese enterprises had a meeting and worked with Ms. Barbara Ebbli - Founder and designer of the Malaika brand (Italy) - a famous brand in Italy and Europe.

Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development worked with Ms. Barbara Ebbli - Founder and designer of Malaika brand (Italy)

Increasing connectivity and value of craft village products

During the exchange, Mr. Ta Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: At the AF L'ARTIGIANO International Handicraft Fair held in Milan (Italy) at the end of 2023, the delegation of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Hanoi New Rural Development Program Coordination Office had the opportunity to meet Ms. Barbara Ebbli - Founder and designer of the Malaika brand in Italy.

Ms. Barbara's creative design consulting company is one of the leading prestigious companies in Italy and Europe and is a member of the European Handicraft Association. Ms. Barbara visited the Hanoi - Vietnam booth and met and discussed trade cooperation with a number of Hanoi businesses. On January 11-19, 2024, Ms. Barbara Ebbli came to Hanoi - Vietnam to survey the raw material areas and silk production facilities in Hanoi to grasp the silk production process in Hanoi, thereby providing ideas for consulting on fashion design models for products made from fabric, silk, and brocade for a number of businesses with OCOP products in Hanoi. Creating opportunities for Hanoi businesses to change the style of fashion designs for their products to suit European and international customers, creating a premise for the consumption of gift products domestically for international visitors to Vietnam and export to European and world markets.

Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of the Hanoi New Rural Development Coordination Office, added: In 2024, the cooperation between the Hanoi New Rural Development Program Coordination Office and Ms. Malaika Barbara Ebbli created 10 product models on Vietnamese silk and linen materials.

Silk products of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general are "treasures" but their potential and methodical marketing have not been exploited

Bringing Vietnamese products to the international market with businesses

Sharing at the meeting on the afternoon of November 25, Ms. Barbara said that the collection truly reflects her trip to Vietnam in January 2024. The design products are aesthetic and fashionable, but still have a fusion between tradition and modernity, between the two cultures of Vietnam and Italy.

"The collection is designed according to the style and preferences of European and international consumers, with bright, sharp colors and creative, unique designs. We hope that the designs will be positively received in both the Italian and Vietnamese markets..." .

She also commented that: Silk products of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general are "treasures" but their potential and methodical marketing have not been exploited. Sharing this view, the leader of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also emphasized the role of the business community in bringing traditional craft village products to the international market, Vietnamese artisans find it difficult to approach designers and creators in the world.

The representative of the CEO of HANHSILK Joint Stock Company, the unit that cooperated in implementing the design collection, completing production on linen and silk materials - OCOP products with Ms. Malaika Ebbli this time, also added: Thanks to the support of the Hanoi City New Rural Coordination Office in organizing fairs to promote traditional Vietnamese products at home and abroad, the enterprise has had opportunities to cooperate like this. Indeed, the way designers in the world work is very different that we need to learn from their experiences, their way of making fashion and products is also very different, as simple as a 20m silk fabric can sometimes only be cut into 1 shirt. They believe that only then can they get the most quintessential patterns of the product. I hope to receive more support from the management agency so that enterprises can make good use of the potential, increase the value of Vietnamese OCOP silk and linen products.

Products made from Vietnamese silk and linen

The collection will be presented on the evening of November 29, 2024, opening the 3rd Hanoi Agricultural Products and Craft Villages Festival in 2024 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. At the same time, the collection will be exhibited at the opening of the International Handicraft Fair (AF-L'ARTIGIANO) Milan, Italy in 2024 on November 30, 2024 and the opening of the display and sale of HANHSILK Joint Stock Company's products at the showroom of Malaika Creative Design Consulting Company in Italy on December 8, 2024.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum