Fashion & Memory: Dzũng Yoko
Elegance and style in colonial Vietnam
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Image courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
Dzũng Yoko, ARTBOOK 06 project (2024). Image courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
Ho Chi Minh City-based Dzũng Yoko (real name: Trần Hoàng Dũng) is widely recognized as one of Vietnam’s leading visual artists. With previous roles as Creative Director for ELLE Vietnam and L’Officiel Vietnam, Dzũng Yoko has consistently drawn inspiration from Asian culture and history, utilizing photography as a powerful medium to narrate compelling and inspiring stories. In this installment of the “Fashion & Memory” column, he reflects on the profound influence of his grandmother, whose elegance and style have shaped his creative vision and artistic practice.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Image courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
Can you tell me about your family’s background and connection to Southeast Asia?
My family from my mother’s side is from a wealthy family in Hanoi, Vietnam. My grandma was an elegant lady in Hanoi who loved fashion and style. This time was the French colonial era.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother with relatives and friends in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Images courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother with relatives and friends in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Images courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
What role has traditional Southeast Asian dress played in your family? Were there any specific garments or textiles that were particularly important?
Most young people from wealthy families had to study in a French secondary school like my grandma. So, like most young ladies of that era, her style was a mix between Vietnamese traditional áo dài and European fashion, makeup, and hair styles. The men from wealthy families mostly wore suits.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother with relatives and friends in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Images courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother with relatives and friends in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Images courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
How have traditional dress styles and significance changed within your family over generations?
Our traditional costume is áo dài, which is very elegant and very well blends with fashion trends in the world at the time and even today. Áo dài has been changing and modified from time to time due to society and economic changes, but it is still the pride of Vietnam fashion and style.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother with relatives and friends in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Images courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
Dzũng Yoko’s grandmother with relatives and friends in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1940-1952. Images courtesy of Dzũng Yoko.
How have your family’s cultural traditions/background influenced your creative work or personal style?
The pictures of my grandma when she was young had influenced my artistic style a lot, which shaped me into who I am today.
About the Writer
Faith Cooper is the creator of the Asian Fashion Archive. She graduated from FIT, studying art and fashion history. Under the Fulbright programme, she is researching Taiwanese fashion and cultural identity at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan. To learn more or connect with Faith, please visit her website.