ÁO DÀI AS:
Stanley Le
INTRO
This project draws from the áo dài, a Vietnamese garment defined by its long, flowing, structured look, and its cultural significance to the Vietnamese diaspora and heritage. Its qualities are translated into a design language used across the conceptual brands of NÓI NỐI, MỘT, LỤA, and H–EM. Rather than directly taking from the áo dài as a visual reference, the áo dài becomes a framework that informs how each brand is constructed.
NÓI NỐI — CONNECTION OF THE VIETNAMESE DIASPORA
NÓI NỐI coming from the two Vietnamese words, NÓI as in Say and NỐI as in Connect, is a diasporic collective and platform where creating becomes a way of connecting bringing together artists, stories, and communities within the Vietnamese diasporic creative scene. NÓI NỐI is the center of the ÁO DÀI AS: project, forming the shared world in which the following brands exist.
Website Landing
Tote Bag + Shirt
NÓI NỐI positions itself as a point of connection within the Vietnamese diaspora, much like the áo dài as a symbol, which continues to carry cultural identity beyond Vietnam.
MỘT — FOR THE SHOW
MỘT Deliverables
MỘT is a collaborative wine brand created in partnership with Michael Le’s capstone, Vermilion. Informed by the visual language of Vietnamese lacquer, the wine’s identity is curated and set for the featured show of the night. Together, each release contributes to an identity that continues over time.
MỘT x Vermilion Box
Liquor Label
MỘT treats cultural identity as something to be continued, drawing from the resurgence of the áo dài. Through collaboration and inspiration from Vietnamese lacquer art, it works to continue a tradition as it adapts into new forms.
H—EM — PUBLISHING HOUSE
H—EM Publications
H–EM is the project’s publishing house. It brings works from the artists emerging from NÓI NỐI into print, forming a growing archive that has ongoing contributions through shared practice. The publishing house also aims to bring Vietnamese literature into contemporary editorial contexts.
A Practice to Remember Vol 1. | Works Contributed by Vietnamese Canadian Artists
Thương | A Collection of Ca Dao, Vietnamese Folk Poetry
H–EM‘s approach to editorial design starts with the grid structure, using a 2/3 system based on the áo dài’s two-panel form. The grid provides consistency and shape, while still allowing content to come first.
LỤA — SLOW MADE BOLD
LỤA | Drip Animation
LỤA is the Vietnamese Cafe connected to NÓI NỐI. It explores Vietnamese coffee culture through a bold and contemporary perspective, centered around slow drip coffee. The brand carries itself at a slower pace, creating a sense of familiarity and a space that feels both vibrant and grounded.
LỤA | Deliverables
Coffee Cups & Cup Holder
Menu
Reward Punch Card
LỤA takes a more direct approach to the áo dài, bringing it into a contemporary café setting. The garment is translated with Vietnamese drip coffee in mind creating an identity that feels unified across different visual and verbal elements.
ENDING NOTES
Each identity interprets different aspects of áo dài, whether through craftsmanship, structure, voice, or cultural significance. NÓI NỐI thinks about connection, dialogue, and community as a Vietnamese collective; MỘT explores cultural continuity of the áo dài through lacquer aesthetics; while H–EM reflects the structure of the garment through editorial layout; and LỤA explores the fluidity, and bold aesthetics through a Vietnamese cafe setting.
Across these design outcomes, the áo dài is a thread connecting each brand through a foundation built off its essence, rather than having a fixed aesthetic. In this sense, the áo dài becomes an underlying outcome shaping how each brand functions, sounds, and looks, rather than a direct visual motif.
