Hue Woman turns wild grass into high-end fashion | lifestyle

The grass that is widely grown in Pho Trach Village in the central province of Phong Dien District of Thua Thien Hue is now the basis for a number of beautiful traditional handicraft products such as wallets, bags, hats and backpacks that bring stable income for many villagers.

The products that are made from this sensitive but powerful weed in Pho Trach are impressive, but so is the story of Ho Suong Lan, a local business woman who initiated the project.

With a deep passion for maintaining the weaving and handicrafts in the village, Lan has spent more than a year searching and searching for markets for the handicraft products.

The recent spread of the coronavirus and the decline in global tourism meant Lan had to change her business as a director of a tourism services company and try something new.

During a trip to Pho Trach last year, she had the opportunity to watch artisans weave and make items co bang, and she was enthusiastic about their rustic and delicate products.

“I was happy and touched by people’s feelings for their work, by the desire to save and preserve cultural products,” said Lan about her first days learning the local craft.

But Lan found that the weavers struggled to sell their products.

“The potential was not yet fully realized, the market was still limited and the scope of production had many limitations,” said Lan.

Then she got the idea to help. She decided to make her products better known both locally and internationally.

With her business talent, Lan knew she could change things for the better, but had to spend time studying the market and product if she really wanted to see how things had skyrocketed. She had to find a new direction.

The more she learned, the more she fell in love with the elegant, delicate grass.

In low-lying fields, where rice is difficult to grow and survive, the grass thrives, she said. In contrast to Lepironia in the Mekong Delta, this grass in Pho Trach is small and soft, but pliable.

“This is a very special quality for the production of handicrafts in Pho Trach, the grass is more durable and adapts well to other production processes,” says Lan.

Lan traveled back and forth between Hue City and the village to learn as much as possible. She met more local artisans who were to become her partners, and she exchanged ideas, carefully selected materials, and discussed pattern designs with them.

Lan looked at dozens of linen, brocade, and several other materials to find a way to mix and match different styles for the products, as well as ways to manually dye the grass different colors.

After coloring, the grass takes on a new liveliness. Lan used many familiar and special colors, including cobalt blue, orange, and purple. The first new products were taking shape.

“We used to make bags and hats, but now we’re making them more beautiful and with more attractive designs,” said Nguyen Thi Lien, a Pho Trach villager who is now Lan’s main worker and partner.

“Due to an increasing number of customers, we now have a pretty good income. And orders are being placed on an ongoing basis. “

Lien revealed that the wild grass is no longer a simple rustic product, but a unique and fashionable handcrafted product.

When Lan posted the first pictures of two bags of weed online, she received rave comments and many of her friends showed interest and even asked how they could buy them.

The idea of ​​combining the raw product, marketing it and turning it into high-end fashion seemed increasingly to be an option.

“It turned out that handicrafts are very popular with consumers. We just haven’t exhausted its potential. The undervalued price doesn’t reflect its real value, ”Lan told a local newspaper.

“So we have to find a way to stimulate customers so that we can continue developing this line of products.”

Lan began researching the market from June 2020 while selling products online before officially launching a company branded Marie’s in May 2021.

After a year, Lan has launched over 6,000 products, mainly in the south. Marie’s brand has won the favor of customers at home and abroad due to its wide range of eco-friendly handcrafted products with good design.

Lan told Vietnam News that despite mounting obstacles from the pandemic and the gradual decline in orders from before, the company is still able to provide stable income to its employees and focus on marketing as well as promoting the brand focus.

In the short term, she wants to open more stores in five major cities in the country in 2022: HCMC, Hanoi, Vung Tau, Hai Phong and Ha Long. Then she would like to pass the company on to others. It is also considering boosting exports at a larger volume in 2023.

For now, being a start-up company, the products will mainly be supplied to local markets across the country.

“But we have had really good orders from many online customers and online wholesalers looking to launch the products for sale in Australia, Canada, France and the United States,” Lan said. “Many of them offered future business contracts for a specific date.” becomes more convenient. “

Nguyen Kieu Linh, a customer from Hanoi, praised the subtle beauty of each product: “The elite are evident in every detail of Marie’s product. Every article made from the grass is a valuable and artistic work. Thank you very much.”