Cultural Industry with Materials from Vietnam's Tradition

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All of the brand's products, including shirts, hats, handbags, and key chains, are born from the creativity inspired by mascots like dragons, folk paintings, traditional art forms, or everyday stories such as street vendors and iced tea cups.

The art forms of Ca Tru, Tuong opera, and Cheo storytelling might seem unfamiliar to the younger generations. However, when presented in the chibi painting style, they have quickly become popular among Gen Y and Gen Z.

Photo: Nhan Dan

Revitalizing traditional culture through fashion

The Am sac truyen thong (Traditional Music) fashion collection boasts dozens of unique designs, each narrating a story about folk performing arts. These designs include a general stepping out of a play, a lady wearing a conical hat and quai thao singing a Quan Ho song, a ca tru singer, or a character in a cheo play.

Art forms once thought to belong to previous generations now feature prominently in the products of Tired City, a creative enterprise warmly embraced by the youth. Bui Da Yen, a young customer, proudly showcases her newly purchased sweatshirt: “The sweatshirt has pictures of ca tru singers. Both the old man playing the instrument and the singer are seasoned artists with gray hair, yet their smiles are humorous and youthful.”

These distinctive designs, printed on T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, and more, infuse a youthful vibrancy into the Traditional Music collection, brought to life by artist Chung Pham’s playful and youthful strokes.

While the Traditional Music collection draws inspiration from folk performing arts, the Bam sau (Thirty-Six) collection emerged from a project to recreate products sold on Hanoi's street stalls through the unique perspective of Giang Gio. The name reflects the local dialect for the 36 streets of Hanoi.

In this collection, shirts and bags are adorned with images of goods from streets like Hang Quat, Hang Dao, Hang Than, and Hang Long, blending modern aesthetics with traditional elements. The story of the street vendor has even inspired a separate collection, alongside other themes like street corners, old shops, and nostalgic childhood memories.

Established in 2016, Tired City has grown to over 10 stores across major streets in Hanoi, such as Hang Bong, Hang Gai, and Hang Trong. The brand has launched hundreds of collections, all drawing from traditional culture and everyday life. The founder, Nguyen Viet Nam, born in 1990, studied at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Construction. "I was born in Thai Nguyen, but moved to Hanoi at age 13. I've always felt a special connection to this city. After traveling extensively, I realized Hanoi's charm lies in its blend of French-style houses, apartment buildings, and modern structures. The cultural depth and vibrant life of its people are rich resources. By properly leveraging these, we can elevate our product value and showcase the beauty of our culture," shared Nguyen Viet Nam.

Traditional culture and facets of Hanoi life have been explored in various fields, including fashion and handicrafts, but success has been elusive for many. Transforming these "resources" into marketable, best-selling products is a challenging endeavor. In 2016, the first store opened with eight young people filled with apprehension. Yet, Nguyen Viet Nam found a solution for product distribution.

Nurturing creativity

Recently, Tired City and the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of the Temple of Literature-Quoc Tu Giam organized the “Folklore in Gen Z” exhibition at the Temple of Literature-Quoc Tu Giam. The exhibition featured 39 works by three artists born in 2000, showcasing aspects of Vietnamese folk culture, such as Boi singing, Dong Ho paintings, and nursery rhymes cherished by many generations.

Artist Phuong Vy (stage name: Vei Vei, from Ho Chi Minh City) focused on Boi singing (tuong) through her projects “Boi Tu” and “Boi Ky.” Since her second year of university, Phuong Vy has pursued these projects, illustrating the typical terms and symbols of Boi singing in “Boi Tu” and reenacting stories and characters in “Boi Ky.”

Another artist, Meaptopia (An Ho), created humorous images inspired by Dong Ho paintings, transforming the familiar cat image into various states and activities, appealing to the younger audience. Meanwhile, Pao's work, “Ve noi nguc,” creatively portrays Vietnamese folk literature with humorous verses such as “A swarm of grasshoppers chasing a perch” and “A frog bites the neck of a snake and carries it out to the field,” bringing delight to visitors.

Phuong Vy noted that Gen Z, like herself, is deeply interested in traditional culture, and believes everyone can preserve Vietnamese cultural identity in their unique way by effectively utilizing the rich national cultural heritage.

This is the second collaboration between the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam and Tired City. The previous exhibition, "Ve con rong" (Drawing the Dragon), held during the Lunar New Year of the Dragon, left a lasting impression on the continuity of traditional culture.

Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Center, remarked that the Center aims to make the Temple of Literature a creative space, attracting younger audiences. The collaboration with Tired City showcases the vitality of national culture through the creativity of young Gen Z artists, enhancing heritage value across generations.

Tired City consistently organizes competitions and exhibitions, focusing on traditional cultural values and local life. Additionally, the company engages in community activities and develops commercial products, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. Several works from the "Folklore in Gen Z" exhibition and previous exhibitions have been incorporated into Tired City's product line.

The secret to Tired City's success lies in nurturing creativity. A few years after its founding, Tired City established the Vietnam Local Artist Group, a creative community with over 100,000 members. Founder Nguyen Viet Nam emphasized the importance of providing young, unknown artists with a platform to interact, share experiences, and find opportunities. The community not only supplies works for Tired City's products but also compensates artists with royalties, promoting their creative process and increasing their visibility.

Many artists and businesses attempt to incorporate folk culture and local life into their works, but success varies. Nguyen Viet Nam and Tired City continue to craft the narrative of Vietnamese culture in their unique way, demonstrating resilience and innovation.

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