While most designers work to push out two to three seasonal collections a year, Hanh Nguyen aims for creating one solid group of work that represents a special combination of hand drawn illustrations and graphic designs with contemporary fits. Looking through the sketches and reading what Nguyen has to say about her work reveals that time is the best factor for producing garments imbued with quality and all the things that have influenced her from her childhood through each collection she has lovingly prepared. From washing and dying individual pieces for unique color variances on limited edition tops to handling all the silk screening of her artwork, Nguyen ensures perfection on every piece she makes available on her website. Keep reading to for a personal look into Nguyen’s work and life!
Audrey Magazine: Which came first, your love for fashion or your love for art?
Hanh Nguyen: Love for art came first. I probably didn’t know what fashion was when I first picked up those markers and doodled all over my house’s wall.
AM: Can you walk us through the process of first initial illustration to final garments for your current Crystallize collection, and what inspired the theme?
HN: All my collections start with an inspiration and I search for them everywhere. From what I have come across with during my personal life during my travels, the music I listen to, and other people’s artwork that makes me wander.
For Crystallize, I thought about how beautiful it is when you take chances to fulfill your dreams and things kind of blossom into place, like crystal forming. For example, I’ve always wanted to live abroad in Italy to gain more fashion experience and then that happened in 2007. After I graduated from my fashion degree, I got this really boring job that wasn’t related to what I studied. So within a month’s plan, I decided to take off to Italy and spent a year there to study graphic design, which lead me to my signature style of combining artwork with fashion. Long story short, that year in Europe was one of the best times of my life. I spent that Summer interning in Amsterdam and met my husband in Berlin.
After I found my inspiration, I would create the initial artwork and then make different versions of it to fit it into the bodies.
AM: What do you feel is the main challenge of combining illustrations with fashion design? Each collection you create seems very well balanced in such a way that one doesn’t over power the other.
HN: I think the biggest challenge is how to create different artworks that can tie together as a story and aesthetically.
AM: We loved seeing men sporting the Winter Garden collection just as much as women, how did it feel to see your work being adored all around?
HN: It literally puts a smile on my face. That’s why I love being out at the markets. I get to see people trying on and buying my work. And seeing men trying on and buying them confirms that the tomboy in me lives through my work.
AM: How soon after releasing each collection did you start planning for your next?
HN: Pretty much right after.
AM: Finally, any hints for what next year’s collection may be about?
HN: I will be doing a part II collection of Crystallize by adding a drop of color and denim!
Keep scrolling to view some more beautiful combinations of Nguyen’s illustration work and her most current designs all available at Hanhny.com, along with more street styles and her previous collections!
