Latest fashion collection by KILOMET109
Concept, design and production: Thảo Vũ and Kilomet 109
Music: Trí Minh
Miên (in the long view) is the latest collection from eco fashion label KILOMET109. Building upon the previous collections Phiêu (Unburdened) and Hạt (Seed), Miên continues the journey of eco textile experimentation and innovation that defines their work. With this collection, Kilomet109 has expanded the geographical area and the number of artisan communities with whom they collaborate, moving beyond the remote mountainous villages of North West Vietnam to now also include artisans and techniques from the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta.
The collection includes many traditional Vietnamese textile techniques that have been modernized and reimagined through a process of rigorous experimentation. Natural fibers, botanical dyes, and ancient textile approaches are molded and blended, mixed and matched, to make new and beautiful fabrics, all while maintaining the integrity of classical craftsmanship. For instance, traditional indigo dyeing is mixed with modern digital printing to create a dreamy blue color composition on silk crepe; ebony fruit dye is used in combination with other indigenous plant dyes and an array of natural fabrics to create exciting new shades of color, which both differ and compliment traditional black lacquer silk.
Equally intriguing are the number of new and inventive clothing designs in this collection. Each piece tells its own unique story. The clothes are functional but also playful and flattering, appropriate for work or a night out on the town. The garment structures, silhouettes and handcrafted design details contained in each piece complement and enhance the natural elegance of the textiles.
Miên is inspired by contrasts between the fashion culture of both East and West. This is exemplified through the simplicity of Vietnamese traditional dress structure combined with the rigor of modern Western costume. A few examples include: a relaxed and playful H’mong men’s shirt meshed with a vintage European uniform; baggy peasant pants and natty western trouser s are interplayed; the details of handmade hooks are used in combination with an elegantly draped gown.
Thao Vu
© Vũ Thảo
a fashion designer by training and also a practicing textile artist, is the founder and Design Director of Kilomet109, a sustainable fashion brand from Hanoi. Her art and design work, focuses on sustainable textile practices in contemporary Vietnam. It has been exhibited around the world in prominent international art and design shows, university symposiums, and featured across multiple media channels.
Tri Minh
© Nguyễn Minh Sơn
Composer, pianist, electronic musician, DJ instructor, music producer and festival director
Trí Minh began his career as a performing artist in the early 1990s and has been experimenting with electronic music both as a soloist and in collaborations with international performing artists in Vietnam and Europe since the late 1990s.
In the mid and late 2000s, Tri Minh started sampling his own recordings and sounds, mixing in and performing with various constellations of traditional and later also classical Vietnamese artists. In recent years, Tri Minh has also been composing for documentary and short films.
Kilomet109 was founded in 2012 as a fashion label and social enterprise that blends contemporary design with traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship. Their work uses design innovation as a means of raising public awareness about at risk rural minority communities in Vietnam, and supporting the preservation of craft villages.
Kilomet109 collaborates with communities of indigenous artisan women, representing different ethnic minority groups throughout Vietnam. Their collaboration aims to create eco-friendly textiles and dyes that are incorporated into Kilomet109’s collections and art installations.
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