Meet Ngoc Ha Thu Le, Redress Design Award 2020 Menswear Finalist

Ngoc Ha Thu Le

VIETNAM

Her home country of Vietnam provides just one of the impetus for Ngoc Ha Thu Le’s journey into sustainable fashion. “Vietnam, currently among the world’s biggest textile exporters, plans to switch from processing to producing, by building textile mills, spinning plants and dyeing facilities,” says Thu, who holds a Higher National Diploma in Fashion and Textiles from the London College for Design and Fashion, Vietnam. “For the sake of both our citizens and the environment, it is crucial that it doesn’t make the same mistakes that other countries have in the past - and that it proves that a sustainable apparel industry is possible.”

For her Redress Design award collection, Slow Boy Archive, Thu looks to Japanese-style Americana to create more sustainable versions of classic menswear pieces such as trucker jackets and painter trousers. Using old Japanese traditional clothing, nine out of ten garments are created using zero-waste pattern cutting. All pieces are designed to be versatile, practical wardrobe staples for both men and women, encouraging borrowing between friends. “This is all to maximise the garment's lifetime,” says Thu. “My collection shares the attitude of fashion archivists - who treasure each garment, appreciate the craftsmanship, view it as an artefact of its age, and who customise their clothing using handmade techniques,” she says. “It encourages the customer as a city dweller to take a mindful, slow-living approach to life - both for their own well-being and the environment.”

If there is one thing she would like to change about the industry, it is racism and cultural appropriation. “As a person-of-colour and Asian designer, I'm fed up with luxury and international brands monetising our heritage under the guise of “inspiration”,” she says.