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HCM City promotes fashion industry
Social growth leads to an increased need and taste for good dress. The fashion industry must meet this demand. Yet Ho Chi Minh City’s fashion industry has sprung up without clear a character.
On streets such as Dong Khoi, Tran Hung Dao, Le Van Sy, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, retail clothing shops do not display the product of the domestic fashion industry.
The textile-garment sector is growing rapidly and is the country’s top export. Yet, this sector is developing spontaneously with no government strategy to ensure its sustainable development.
Only 30 percent of locally made clothes are designed by Vietnamese designers, while 70 percent are copied from international designers, experts say. In addition, those in the business have limited advertising strategies and a very few have distribution networks set up.
Textile companies pay attention to outsourcing, but ignore the domestic market because it is difficult financially, said Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, the managing director of the Quadrille & Vera.
Vietnamese-designed clothing is sold at wholesale and retail markets, while deluxe supermarkets and shopping centers sell foreign-made clothes.
In recent years, Legamex with its Legafashion brand products, the Sai Gon 2 Garment Company with its Sanding brand products, Quadrille & Vera, the Viet Tien Garment Corporation with Vee Sendy brand products have attempted to sell in the country’s market and win customers’ heart to their brand names.
The high quality and stylishly designed products of Thai Tuan Textile and Garment Corporation, Phong Phu Corporation and Gia Dinh Textile and Garment Corporation can compete with those made in foreign countries.
The biggest shortcoming of the Vietnamese fashion industry is the lack of qualified, professionally trained designers because curriculum and textbooks are out-of-date. On the other side, some designers are puzzled to seek their own ways.
A disadvantage for those working in the industry is that they have little opportunity to exchange information concerning the country’s market as well as world fashion trends.
The Vietnam Fashion Institute (Fadin) has held three designing classes but only 20 per cent of learners continue to pursue the career after graduation.
Students quit their jobs because they must comprehend production procedure as well as have marketing, commercial knowledge and foreign language skills to read an up-to-date catalogue. They must make a finished dress which is welcomed by public. These requirements are too high for most new graduates.
Design increases the value of a piece of clothing, according to Professor Thomas William Allan Whitfield, the director of the National Institute for Design Research in Australia. Thus, the industry must invest in design or else it will die.
To improve the industry, it must have a breakthrough in design and international-level designers should be trained to provide for the sector, said Mr. Tran Quang Nghi, General Manager of Phong Phu Corporation.
The city will create favorable conditions for the fashion sector to flourish, said Nguyen Trung Tin, deputy chairman of the city’s People's Committee. First of all, a fashion design center will be built in District 12. Centers and catwalks where fashion shows are organized will be set up to improve the industry to the world level.
To develop the industry in depth, a single individual must be put in charge. In addition, designers should combine foreign and Vietnamese traits.
VNN
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